Lost Smiles, Revamped!
by ArchXDeath
Summary: Michael's name was poison to him. Derek swore to defeat him, no matter what. But being forced onto a journey, can he even defeat the Indigo League, much less defeat a Champion of all five regional leagues? And even if he can, is it enough to find Yuki?
1. Prologue:  Derek Aaron Risque

**Hey there! Welcome to Lost Smiles, Revamped!**

**For those who don't know, this is a remake of an old story (the original Lost Smiles). Lost Names, the sequel, and Lost Memories, the prequel, are also both being "revamped." As it stands, I'm having quite a bit of fun writing so far, and I hope you guys will have half as fun reading!**

**Well, enough about me. Let's get on to the story! This is just a short prologue; real adventure starts next chapter. Either way, read and review, guys!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, nor do I own any of the characters created by Nintendo / Game Freak / whatever. I only own the characters I created.**

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><p>"And a stunning victory by Michael Drake Risque! Nobody can call this man just a name anymore, now that he's defeated the former Kanto Champion, Lance! Let's give these two phenomenal Trainers a big round of applause!"<p>

All across the Indigo Plateau, the audience burst into thunderous applause and sky-piercing cries of approval. The two Trainers before them both smiled, returning their respective Pokémon to give the crowd what they wanted: a little smile, a small chuckle, a short wink, a pathetic wave.

Derek gritted his teeth.

The announcer danced around the destroyed battlefield, more than once nearly falling into the numerous craters dotting the dirt field. He made his way over to the victor and held out the microphone.

"Here, Michael, do you have anything to say on your wonderful victory here today?"

The Champion turned his gaze from the crowd to the man. Not surprisingly, the announcer flinched; it was a common reaction. Eyes harder than steel, sharper than a blade—that defined the Champion's gaze.

A lofty smile pulled at his lips. No, not lofty...cocky would be more accurate. He shook his head and pushed the long red hair out of his face, earning a few squeals from the crowd.

"Victory? What makes you say I won, Mr. Announcer?"

There was a deathly silence. The announcer scratched the back of his head, a new sheen of sweat coloring his face.

"W-well..."

"If either of us had gone all-out, there's no doubt this stadium would be long gone." Michael turned to Lance, smirking. "Isn't that right, Champion?"

A bruise was beginning to form on Derek's arm. His hand wouldn't budge, though; his own grip was like iron. Not that he even realized it, so intent he was on the two Trainers.

Lance returned the smile. "Incredible. You really do deserve the title of Champion, Michael. I've been Champion for long enough—it's time for a fresh face, don't you think? Surely one as talented as you would be a great candidate."

"Talent..." the man echoed. He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. "Surely, Lance, you don't believe that talent is everything? A Champion like you should know better than—"

Michael's voice suddenly cut off into silence, and the image dissolved into black. The boy looked up from his seat, to the man responsible for turning off the television.

"Setsora-_ojisan_," he growled.

"I've told you countless times, you can call me that after you actually learn some Japanese."

The man stepped into quaint little living room. He was freshly washed, and his dark brown hair still a bit wet. The clothes he was wearing were anything but homely, though; he wore a black jacket over his steel-colored shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans.

He turned his gaze to Derek. His eyes were a bloody crimson in the dark, and they glowed faintly like a dying flame. Derek merely glared at his uncle; red eyes were nothing uncommon amongst the two of them.

"Why'd you turn off the TV?" he snapped.

"I wanted to ask you what you want for dinner."

"And you had to turn off the TV for that?"

Setsora gave him an icy look. The boy gave in and lowered his gaze.

"Look," the man said. "I'm going to order pizza if you don't want anything. I'm heading out."

The boy snorted, though there was no humor in the act. "Right. Work, huh? What's someone with no Pokémon going to do?"

"Foolish child." The man turned away from the boy, wandering over to the phone on the coffee table. "Do you really think one can only work with Pokémon? There are plenty of occupations in this world; perhaps you should consider some yourself."

"As if I'd want that."

Setsora paused, his fingers touching the cold plastic of the phone. The boy was staring down at something in his hands: a Poké Ball.

He sighed. "If those are your real thoughts on the matter, then that's settled."

Derek looked up. "What's settled?"

Setsora straightened back up. His lips curved into a wry smile. "You'll become a Trainer, Derek. Just like Michael. Just like Aliana. You'll become a Trainer, and you'll survive on your own, without any family help."

The boy's eyes widened. It only took a moment for him to regain his composure. "I don't want to become a Trainer."

"We don't always get what we want in life," Setsora responded calmly. He crossed his arms across his chest. "Unless you're saying you're going against your promise?"

"Promise? What promise?"

"To Yuki, of course."

Derek fell silent. Setsora waited a few moments for the boy to let the conversation sink in. Then, the boy spoke with a whisper.

"You're going to kick me out?"

"Am I kicking you out? Or am I simply releasing your shackles?" Setsora tried to smile, but he only succeeded in making his lips twitch. "It's about time you showed us what you can do, Derek Aaron Risque."

-.-.-

Derek. Ruler of the people. A strong, powerful name. A name that belonged to him, and him alone. Childish, illogical thinking, perhaps, but it was his only lifeline in his own despair.

Aaron. The name of his so-called father. Derek could only feel deep shame towards the name, both because of his own failures and the failure he had to call a father.

Risque. Perhaps originally his family had been the head of a brothel. Nay; the name was pronounced "risk," and it did indeed hold just as bad a reputation as the word. Perhaps a good one to some, but Derek didn't live up to its renown. Others would have loved to have been a Risque; Derek knew no greater pain.

Still... Even despite everything his family had brought upon him, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud in his own name.


	2. Hero's Start

_The boy grinned before walking off, whistling a soft tune Derek hadn't noticed before. It wasn't something he recognized, either, but it was definitely a cheerful one._

_ He smiled to himself for reasons he wasn't sure of. It was then it struck him: unless he was mistaken, nobody in Pallet Town even had green eyes._

_ He couldn't help but turn around to look at the boy again, surprised to see that he had done so as well. Their eyes met, though the colors were hard to make out in the darkness. There was one thing Derek could tell, though._

_ He felt his lips curve into a smile, knowing the boy was smiling as well._

-.-.-

The memory was hazy. Derek hadn't quite lost it, but it was indeed a rather blurred image. He couldn't recall why he remembered a boy whistling in the streets of Pallet Town, nor what color his eyes or hair had been. It really wasn't important.

He discarded the thought, blinking the sleepiness out of his eyes. He could see the soft electric light on the white ceiling, purging the room of darkness. Confused as to why there would be shadows in the first place, he glanced outside. Surprise filled him as he noticed it had gone dark outside. The full moon was shining, rather bright to his tired eyes.

Forcing himself up, he nearly tripped on something. It was with a rather sour frown that he noticed it was his Pokétch. He picked it up in in further confusion, trying to figure out when and _how _it had slipped off his wrist. It read 20:32 with its rather green glow-in-the-dark function.

'_Whatever_,' he sighed, strapping it back on.

Thoughts flooded his mind: memories of the day before; random books Derek had read on Pokémon; and, of course, where Yuki was. He never ceased to wonder after he woke up where she was. After all, he could still remember the scent of her favorite shampoo, the way she would always pull on a hat out of nervousness of being caught, and how she seemed to get a tad _physical_ when angry.

He jumped at the sound of a voice. Glancing up, he noticed there was one of those speaker things used to deliver messages throughout buildings and buses. He struggled to remember the name, but the words that came to mind didn't click. An intercom, maybe? The voice was simply announcing that the ship would be landing in ten minutes, onto Cinnabar's shore.

A groan escapes his throat. He had been dreading the moment he landed in Cinnabar, as he knew it would be crowded full of rude people with no manners (he did not catch the redundancy of his statement). With a sigh, he forced himself towards his backpack.

The black bag was rather small, but both waterproof and fireproof, according to his uncle. It would most likely protect the things inside, as long as it wasn't torn or something. Derek forced the thought out of his mind, not in the mood to remember his uncle. He simply grabbed and threw the backpack over his shoulder, grunting at the weight.

Glancing around one last time, he tried to remember if he had left anything out on the cabinet's floor. He instantly went towards his jacket, which he had left on the small hook hanging on the wall.

'_I doubt the first class ship would have hooks_,' he thought in boredom, taking the soft red cotton jacket off the wall. '_Though, I doubt I could ever afford first class anyways_.'

He noticed something fall out of his jacket, landing on his foot. It wasn't particularly painful, but he did notice that it was round and metallic. He picked it up, noticing it was a Pokéball, which he knew was obviously Soran's. He also noticed a belt on the ground. Slapping a hand to his face, Derek figured he knew he would forget the thing after falling asleep. Thank Arceus for planning ahead.

He slung it through the belt loops on his jeans. The belt was, apparently, one of Setsora's many old ones, so he wasn't surprised to find the familiar silver chain on which he could hang his Pokéballs. Unfortunately, while it was familiar to see it, he had never actually _worn _it, so he had no idea how to hang the damn things on.

Giving up, he simply slipped the minimized Pokéball into his jacket's pocket. He pulled open the wooden door and stepped out into the hall, hearing the metal chain clink and clatter as he did so. It was a rather irritating sound, but he didn't have a different belt, so he figured he would have to get used to it.

The ten-year-old child forced himself to walk. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair out of force of habit, though it served no purpose. There was no purpose unless he was either using gel or forcing it into a ponytail—both of which he refused to do.

He noticed that the other people leaving their rooms were never alone. He noticed a young couple with the "tourist" look on one side, and a family of four on the other. Lips falling into a frown, he turned away, wondering why he felt so _sad_.

The boat fell into a quiet halt, nearly knocking Derek off his feet at the sudden change in balance. He grumbled something about "at least warn us" before forcing himself into the main room of the ship. People were just about everywhere, following uniformed men to the exits or running around.

Following them was the problem, Derek realized. There really was too many people, scrambling around to grab things dropped or forgotten, trying to find their children or lovers in the swarm of people. He nimbly weaved through the people, though it was more than once that he knocked their shoulders, and more than ten times that the reverse happened to him. He, at least, had the manners to apologize.

It wasn't easy, but eventually he found himself out of the ship. There was no ecstasy at his freedom, though, as the salty breeze of the ocean island was repulsive. He could just about smell the water itself, and it was _not _going to be fun staying until the next day's ship to Pallet Town.

Noticing the people behind him quickening their pace, he too began to jog, just so he wouldn't be flattened by the crowd of people. He wasn't sure what he was more scared of: getting lost in the watery depths of the ocean, or getting lost in the disgusting sweaty bodies of the ocean of people.

Cinnabar Island had, frankly, become a tourist island. Little lanterns lit up the entire town in an eerie way, as if to scare off ghosts. The volcano in the distance was surrounded by men and women in bright "traditional" clothing—clothing he knew was simply made up to bring in the customers. People were crowding the streets as they bought things at souvenir shops, "local, traditional" food stalls, and even some Trainers battling on the streets.

Derek noticed as he walked down the street that there was a beach void of people. While he was no fan of the shoreline, he considered it far better than being crowded by people. He quickly walked towards it.

The waves sent white foam crashing along the shore, sending sprays of the salty water up. He stayed out of its reach by sitting on a rock, glancing into the distance. The moon was shining, making Derek wonder how strange gravity was. If the moon could affect the tide, he wondered what other planets could do if they were close enough.

He shrugged the impossible thought away. There was no point in wondering about '_what if_'s or '_maybe_'s. All that really mattered was getting this whole thing over with, retiring to some little home, and just living until he died. On second thought, that would be a very boring life, so he discarded the idea.

Vaguely, he wondered where all his thrown away thoughts even went.

Derek picked up a small stone from the ground. It was just a small, flat pebble, common enough to find. He tossed it into the air with a flick of his wrist, maybe just a foot up. As it fell back down, he caught it before tossing it with another motion. It skipped across the water several times before sinking into its depths.

Somehow, the action seemed to hold meaning to him. It was nothing but skipping stones, a game he had often played (and thus gotten quite proficient at) when he was alone, but overtime it had come to hold value. No stroke of inspiration or confidence or anything like that, but as if it represented his own desires. Something like that, anyways.

"'Sup."

Derek jumped up and turned around in surprise, noticing the person behind him. The boy was slightly older than Derek—maybe eleven or twelve. His blond hair was cut in a way that made him look both ragged and rather "cool." He wore one of those gray jacket-type hoodies, unzipped to reveal ordinary traveling clothes: a black shirt and a pair of jeans. Both were as unkempt as his hair, and yet somehow reinforced the "model Trainer" image.

The only thing Derek cared to see, though, was his belt—only partially visible under the untucked shirt, he could make out a full six Pokéballs. This guy was no amateur.

He glanced up, studying the boy's face. It was with a rather nasty shock he saw the boy's eyes: a shining sapphire blue, gazing at him with a smooth look. They were too similar, far too similar. Derek felt his heart pound in an uncomfortable wrench.

"The name's Chris," the boy said, not seeming to notice. "Chris Lightwood. You look sorta new; any reason you're on Cinnabar?"

Derek could hardly open his mouth to speak. It had been too long, far too long, since he had spoken to a person other than his uncle. It was as if he had lost his ability to socialize. He forced out the words: "Derek. I came from _Isshu_."

"_Isshu_?" Chris asked, looked puzzled. "Hm...I guess that's a region I didn't know about. Maybe I should check that out next year."

The younger boy had no idea what to say. This _Chris _guy had no problem staring into the crimson eyes of his, unlike most people. They were too bright to be color lenses upon inspection, which often tended to scare people off. He fidgeted, adjusting the collar of his jacket out of nervousness.

Waves sent another spray of water splashing up, making Derek flinch in surprise. He jerked as it touched him, sending a cool shock through his body.

Chris watched in curiosity, though he said nothing related to the water. Instead he said, "Well, I'm guessing you're a new Trainer."

Derek nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Well then, I'd best get you to Professor Oak." He smiled kindly. "That's where I got my first Pokémon, even though I'm not a citizen in Pallet Town. The old man is a cool guy, so I bet he'd give you a starter if you asked for one."

A small frown pulled at the new Trainer's lips. He didn't bother to tell him that that was where he was going in the first place.

"And of course, he has some pretty sweet Pokémon. I mean, I had a hard time choosing when I was first there. Everyone does." Almost as if they were twinkling with the memories themselves, Chris' eyes shone in the moonlit night. "Though, everyone appreciates their partner in the end, regardless of who they chose."

Derek noticed something odd about what Chris said. He spoke of Pokémon as 'who,' as if they were equal creatures to humans. From experience, he knew most people referred to them as 'what.' Even books stated so, and Derek had read at least one for every Pokémon in existence, barring the Legendaries.

His train of thought was once again interrupted by the blond boy. "So, how about a fly through the sky?" He chuckled at his rhyme. "It's the fastest way, and since it's night, we probably won't get attacked even if we fly over a Pidgeot's nest or anything."

"Do...do you have a Flying-type Pokémon?" Derek asked, trying not to let his voice crack. He was confused as to why Chris was doing this, but he was too nervous to refuse him. It would be best to simply let him do what he wanted, as fast as possible.

"Of course. That's a principle for a non-specialist Trainer," Chris stated simply. He put a hand softly onto the younger boy's shoulder. "I hope you're all right with heights."

Clouds had gathered, blocking the moon for a few minutes. Having no light to see by, Derek couldn't see the Pokémon Chris released, except for the momentary flash of blinding white light. He made out a large winged Pokémon that looked rather reptilian. No Pokémon he could remember off the top of his head fit the small details he picked up.

"Hey, Gaia, hope you don't mind two riders this time."

The Pokémon, Gaia, growled lowly in its throat.

"Hop on," Chris said, with what Derek guessed to be a grin on his face.

"If you...say so."

He wasn't sure what to hop onto, but he felt the older boy push him up onto the body of the Pokémon. Gaia had rather smooth yet hard skin, like a polished rock, or maybe steel. Before he could figure out precisely which one it was, the launched into the sky, without Derek even noticing Chris having gotten on.

"To be perfectly honest, I'd rather go by sea, but it'd be best to get you there quickly."

Derek didn't hear him. He was too busy trying not to be sick as his stomach lurched. He wasn't scared of heights, particularly, but the motion had been much too sudden and far too fast. Swallowing down his dinner, he turned towards Chris. He could only just make out his sapphire blue eyes.

"This ride shouldn't take much more than two hours," Chris told him. "I'd recommend you take a nap, since this isn't going to be fun."

"If you say so," Derek repeated. He grasped the hard neck of Gaia with both arms, but couldn't even relax due to the constant flapping of its wings.

He felt rather edgy, not wanting to make physical contact with Chris. There was no point in becoming friendly, since friends didn't last. At least, none of the friendships he had made so far had, except one.

"Ah, we could always just...Gaia, use a Tailwind."

The speed at which they flew doubled—literally. Derek's hair and clothes whipped back at the winds. It took all he had to simply breathe; this was a horrifying speed.

"Is this _safe_?" he managed to gasp out.

"Nothing I do is safe." He laughed, as if at his own private joke. "Even faster, Gaia. Aerial Ace!"

There was no chance at falling asleep on that crazy ride, Derek decided in exasperation. Their speed had doubled upon their double—that was a quadruple, he realized. Of course, Tailwind was a time-limited move, rather like a temporary slipstream. And Aerial Ace was a priority move: at the cost of a greater energy consumption, the body was pushed to its limits. Surely they would have to slow down eventually.

The state of his body was, sadly, not as calm as his mind. He felt like he was going to faint right there, what with the difficulty of breathing and the winds caused by the breakneck-speed. He wondered what was worse: this or falling from this height. After a moment's consideration, he decided both were just horrible and left it at that.

"Shouldn't take much more than a half hour at this speed," Chris said happily. He seemed to be unaffected by the speed they were going at.

"I think I'm going to die in ten," Derek choked.

Chris simply laughed, urging Gaia to go even faster. The red-eyed boy sighed (as best as he could with his lack of breath), resigning himself to death. He pulled himself against Gaia's neck, closing his eyes for a moment's rest.

-.-.-

"Did you fall asleep?"

Derek shook his head. "I'm just trying not to be sick."

"Well, a first flight is always like that."

"I think two hours would have been better," he groaned.

"At least you're talkative," Chris said with a wink. "Now c'mon, let's go see Professor Oak before he goes to sleep."

When he didn't reply, Chris decided he was awake anyway. He returned Gaia to its Pokéball, letting Derek drop to the ground with a painful _bang_. He knocked his head on the hard ground, forcing another groan out of him.

"Stop groaning and get up already," the older boy muttered, grabbing Derek by the arm and dragging him.

Pallet Town was as quiet and lush as ever. Grass grew everywhere, but so did berry trees and plants. He found an Oran Berry on the ground—or rather, was dragged over it—which he found surprising; there had never been any when he had been there. Then again, it had been three years, and a lot changed.

Maybe once in the past, Derek may have found the town of Pallet serene. Now, he felt as if it were hiding something from him. His eyes instinctively glanced towards the more populated parts of the town. He could vaguely see the large, shadowed two-story house belonging to the Risque family. He wondered if he should go and set it on fire with a few matches, but decided against it. No need to get arrested before starting his journey.

"Ah, you do have a Trainer Card, right?" Chris asked, just as Derek's mind went blank. He had an odd skill at choosing the exact right moment when his train of thought ended. "I mean, you can't get a start Pokémon if you aren't an official Trainer."

"I've got it here," he assured him, pulling out the wallet in his jacket's pocket. He showed him the glistening red card. "I don't get it; I thought Pokédexes were a Trainer's ID?"

"Not everybody can get one, you know," Chris explained. "They're pretty hi-tech, and obviously expensive. Trainer Cards are for those who can't afford one. Plus, it's better to have both, since Pokédexes can be stolen and altered."

"Touché," Derek grumbled under his breath.

Chris pulled Derek up to his feet with a hand. He looked up as he wiped the grass and dirt off his back, noticing that they were in front of the lab. Chris turned to smile at the boy. "Hope you're ready to meet Professor Oak."

"I honestly have no idea," he said.

"Good. I felt the exact same way." He flashed another smile at him. "Either way, you're going in whether you like it or not."

"I don't really—"

Chris ignored him. He put his hand onto the handle of the door, twisted, and pushed.

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><p><strong>AN - Yep, that's chapter one for you. Slowed down considerably, if you've read the original. I'm not HAPPY with it, but I'm forced to release something. Besides, it's been one complete month, I needed to let it out eventually. Please points out mistakes, since I only proofread this once. (I'm tired, shhh.)**

**Regardless, I'll see what I can do about weekly chapters. I'm making no promises though, =P**


	3. Battle of Acceptance

_ Aliana was an exception, though. Derek's mind drifted towards her; his great, wonderful, perfect sister. Of course, she was brilliant, unlike him. A saint, an angel, heaven's blessing to Earth, a prodigy, everything that he wished to be but couldn't—_

_ '_Stop that_,' he told himself, ridding himself of the bitter tone his thoughts had gained. '_What's the point in hating the only person who treats you decently_?'_

_ He felt the tears gather in his eyes. It was just too much, this was. Loneliness he could handle, and all the fantasy books, all the history books, and all the Pokémon information books explained that loneliness was the worst pain. If loneliness was a pain that caused madness, then Derek had already accepted that._

_ But they were wrong, he thought viciously. Loneliness wasn't the worst pain. The greatest pain was forever being in another's shadow—to never be accepted as your own self._

_-.-.-_

He was, quite literally, blinded by the bright lights coming from inside the lab. After being in the dark so long, it was like someone had just put the sun in the very room itself. Actually, he thought, no. That was a horrible comparison. More like...someone had flashed a light right into his eyes, or something similar to that.

Either way, he blinked in pain, eyes stinging, wondering whether this would be bad on his eyesight or not. It didn't really seem like an immediate problem, though, as his eyes soon regained their vision (though his sight was, admittedly, blurry).

"Why hello there boys! Is there something wrong—it's the middle of the night!"

Words came to mind, but nothing that could really describe the old professor. His hair was gray, but the color hinted at a darker shade, which Derek guessed was due to the old man's hair once being brown. His black eyes shone with a bright enthusiasm, a curiosity that age couldn't seem to affect. His smile was, quite frankly, nearly the exact same as Chris'; kind, understanding, and bright, as if his smile itself could rid the world of the dark and shadows.

Derek felt as if he should start running.

"Sorry Pro," Chris said with an apologetic look. "I found Derek—that's your name, right?—alone on Cinnabar island, so I kinda brought him here."

"Derek?" the old man echoed, staring at him with widened eyes. He turned towards said boy, seeming to almost jump back in surprise. "Derek, my boy! I was quite worried when I heard from Aliana that you were—"

"Professor Oak, please don't mention my family," he forced out, voice calm. He surprised himself with his attitude, as he normally would have either stuttered or stood there horrified.

Regardless, the professor simply smiled again. Derek rather wished he wouldn't, but it was pointless to say "I really hate your smile, so please stop smiling at me." The old man said to them: "Well, while normally I would tell you two to go home and sleep, I can make an exception for two...ah, exceptional people." He laughed at his own joke.

Chris' smile seemed to widen. "'Scuse us for the intrusion," he said cheerfully, walking in past Professor Oak into the lab.

"You too, Derek," the old man said kindly, holding the door open for him.

The child grimaced, forcing himself to walk forward. The silver chain seemed to catch the professor's eyes, but he said nothing. The old man closed the door when everybody was inside.

Derek wished he hadn't. It was bright inside, with regular furniture and everything, but it didn't look very comforting. He realized it wasn't just a lab—it was also a house. But the comforts of being in an adequately spaced house again (as Setsora-_ojisan_'s was quite tiny in comparison) did not last long. He felt as if he were a Rattata in a cage, locked inside with no escape.

The small group went up the staircase, one at a time, until everybody was up on the second floor. It was astounding, in some ways, and strange in others. There were machines and gadgets and all sorts of strange, metallic objects against the walls of the large rectangular room. There was a small table near a wall of computer-like machines, on top of which lay some papers and research books. In the center was the Dome.

There probably wasn't an official name for the Dome, but that was how Derek referred to it. It was a cylinder of metal (another machine), standing on four legs like a round table. It had a dome of glass over the flat top of the metal. Inside were held three Poké Balls, each with a small sticker with its Japanese name in large characters.

As he turned towards the other two with him, he noticed odd looks on both of them. Chris was staring at the glass dome with a look of bliss, as if he were remembering fond memories from the time he himself had chosen a Poké Ball from the Dome. Professor Oak wore an expression of awe, an expression that read that no matter how many times he saw Poké Balls, they never ceased to amaze him.

'_Weirdos_,' he thought. He realized that he, too, was a weirdo, but pushed the thought aside.

"So, Derek. Your brother and sister have chosen Pokémon before, and have proven that they are amazing Trainers," Professor Oak began. Chris glanced at him, probably due to the mention of Derek's siblings. "Which path will you choose?"

A speech-length amount of words filled Derek's head. Michael was one of the greatest Trainers to have ever lived, and was already forming legends of himself. Aliana had been chosen as Grand Coordinator previously, and was obviously one of the best. They had chosen Bulbasaur and Squirtle respectively as their partners.

Obviously there was only one choice for him.

"Flames...to rid the darkness, and cast me into my own, private glow," he mumbled to himself. When the old man and young Trainer glanced at him in confusion, he said aloud, "I'll choose Charmander, Professor."

"Excellent! I knew you would. Though...maybe you would prefer to meet the other two, just in case?" The professor seemed to be fighting his own excitement with practicality.

Derek, however, shook his head. "No. Charmander is the only one I want."

A smile tugged at Oak's lips. He didn't show it, but instead opened the Dome and took out one of the Poké Balls. It shone as a ray of light struck its shiny metal, casting a glow. He showed it to Derek.

The boy examined the glossy orb. The stick on the front displayed the Japanese characters ヒトカゲ, which he figured was the Japanese form of "Charmander." He watched as Professor Oak pressed the button, enlarging the ball to the size of a baseball. With a gentle toss, the Poké Ball soared a few feet into the air, bursting open with a flash of white.

"Char?"

"How cute," Chris said, laughing.

The small, orange, reptilian creature gazed at the figures with large, green eyes. It waved its two clawed hands and waddled on its stubby legs, waving its tail around in a combat-like style. Derek realized it was a male by the way it was showing its physique. It, or rather, he, had an interesting look in his eyes, Derek noticed. The Pokémon showed a strange understanding of the world, and seemed to accept the two strangers' presences, though warily.

Derek held out his empty hand in the form of a handshake. He wasn't sure whether a Pokémon knew what a handshake was, but before he could consider changing his mind, he found himself holding the Charmander's tail. Unfortunately, a Charmander's tail has a flame on the tip, which isn't necessarily something you want to hold.

"Dear _Arceus_!" Derek cursed, jerking his hand back from the Pokémon. The movement had probably put out any flames that had been on his hand, though he sincerely hoped there hadn't been any in the first place. The pain had caused him to fall a few steps back, and he gripped his wrist with his right hand, checking for any visible damage. The palm was burnt, true, but only to a degree of tender pain.

"Ah...that looks like it hurt," Chris said sympathetically.

Derek spared him a glance, holding back a string of curses.

"This Charmander is still young, so his flames aren't strong enough to cause any permanent damage. Though," Professor Oak said, stepping forward and taking Derek's hand by the wrist and examining the burn, "we should still put some ointment on this."

"I've got a Burn Heal and a Potion," Chris said, taking said objects out of his bag. "Want some gauze as well?"

"That would be good," the old man answered, nodding.

His lips pulled into a frown as Derek glanced at the Charmander. Derek knew he was laughing, as though he had known that such an annoying ordeal would follow. It wasn't painful, but it sure was irritating, Derek thought.

"Ow," he muttered. The Burn Heal stung his burnt hand, despite Chris' light motions. A Potion and a wrapping of gauze later, he could feel his hand already beginning to heal—or rather, simply recover? The pain from the burn was already disappearing, rather like how pain from bumping your head does.

"I guess it really is true," Professor Oak said, watching Derek curiously.

'_What the hell could possibly be examined from this situation_?' he asked himself internally. What came out was: "What is, sir?"

The old man looked surprised, as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Oh, just that you and your family really are resilient."

The fact he had said "you and your family" relieved Derek. Professor Oak was trustworthy, and didn't seem to be planning on spilling Derek's little family secret. He didn't want to be known as Derek Risque instead of simply Derek.

Still, something about Professor Oak worried him. That obviously hadn't been what the old man was going to say—there had been a moment's hesitation before answering. Derek knew that no matter how fast somebody came up with a response, there was always a moment's hesitation when an unintentional moment leads to a lie.

His train of thought stopped for a moment, and once again, Chris spoke. "So anyway, here." He tossed a Poké Ball—an empty one—towards Derek, who caught it with a slight amount of difficulty in his left hand. "This is a good chance to show you a capture."

Derek said nothing about already knowing, wanting to keep on an oblivious facade. "I thought I just had to throw it and the Poké Ball snapped open?" he asked in fake curiosity.

"Well, the Poké Ball snaps open when it comes in contact with a Pokémon. Something like aura readings and stuff. All that you need to know is that when it touches, it catches. So yeah, just throw it, or something."

Derek sighed. He aimed the Poké Ball and gave it a halfhearted toss, watching as it soared through the air. The Charmander, however, knocked it back with its tail, straight into Derek's hand.

"Goal," the boy sighed.

"Not funny," Chris muttered.

"Fine."

Derek threw the Poké Ball with his full might, watching it once again whip through the air. This time, the Charmander simply dodged, and the Poké Ball ricocheted, once again back to its owner. However, before Derek could try again, the Charmander leapt forward and grabbed Derek's back, holding on as if for dear life.

"O-oi, get off," he grunted. Twenty pounds of weight on his back was _not _something he wanted to feel.

Chris began to laugh. "Man, and I thought _my _starter Pokémon gave me trouble."

"You did destroy the entire lab," Professor Oak recalled, also laughing.

"That's it," Derek grumbled, grabbing the Charmander by the arm, "we're going outside."

He rushed to the door, sped down the stairs, and raced past the clean surroundings of the lab. Almost knocking into the wall, he jerked the door open and jumped out of the lab/house, making sure to dodge anything that came into his path.

Panting, he came to a stop, some twenty feet away from the lab. The weight on his back seemed to have grown, and he was quite sure he might have accidentally bumped the Charmander's tail into some stuff. Still, he didn't smell or see any smoke, so it was probably all right.

The main problem was that he was still carrying the twenty-pound weight. Frustrated, he slipped both of his arms out of the jacket simultaneously, letting the Charmander's weight pull it off of him. The surprised Pokémon let go of the cloth upon hitting the ground, allowing Derek to steal it and put it back on immediately.

"Soran, let's do this," he growled, whipping out the Poké Ball and releasing the Eevee inside. She hit the ground, her sleek brown fur glinting in the light. Derek fervently hoped neither Professor Oak nor Chris saw her. "Shadow Ball."

The orbs of shadowy light shot from out of her mouth, flying towards the Charmander like eerie ghosts. The young Pokémon simply slashed through them with a unique attack Derek had never seen before—something between a Scratch and a Fire Punch. The ignited claws easily shredded the Shadow Balls, and soon were going straight for Soran.

It was his first battle, and strangely enough, it was with two of his own Pokémon. He had no idea what to do. Use a status move? Tell Soran to dodge? Counter with an attack? Something crept into his mind. Probably from all the video games Setsora-ojisan had coerced him into playing (for reasons unknown), a sudden glimpse into the battle told him exactly what to do.

"Leap to the left and then use Tackle," Derek commanded calmly.

Just as expected, Soran's fluid movement dodged Charmander's right-claw's strike. Derek wasn't sure how he could tell, but somehow he could see the movements of the Charmander. It was like watching the movement of flames: it was unpredictable, yet somehow had a certain movement to it that he could catch.

Soran's Tackle hit the Charmander hard in the side, sending the Lizard Pokémon skidding away. However, he quickly regained his balance, and leapt forward with another fire-enhanced Scratch. Derek could see his movements once again, and saw he was going straight for Soran's neck.

"Jump and Shadow Ball!" he shouted.

Soran obeyed instantly, soaring straight into the air as gracefully as a Kirlia. Spinning slightly, she sent down a rain of Shadow Balls. The attacks swirled like a vortex, following their creator's movements. The Charmander was trapped in the blast, and was soon hidden in a cloud of smoke that erupted from the ground.

Sensing where the Charmander was, Derek gripped the Poké Ball tight in his hand. "This time, it's over," he said to himself confidently, and threw it as hard as he could. It whistled in the air, swerving slightly, but still hit where he could feel the heat source. A flash of red light followed by the sound of clattering metal was all he could decipher.

A gust of wind blew away the smoke. He glanced up, but was blinded by a brilliant white light from something he couldn't see. A voice—Chris' voice—said, "Ah, an Eevee! This yours, Derek?"

When his sight returned for the second time that day, Derek could see Chris holding a Poké Ball in his hand, and Soran in the other. The older boy quickly put away the ball to stroke the Eevee with his hand. Soran purred in delight.

Content with Soran's safety, Derek turned towards where the Charmander had been. To his relief, he saw there was nothing but a Poké Ball, glistening in the moonlight. He picked it up and gripped it tightly. The Poké Ball answered to the pressure by opening.

"Char, Charmander..." he said, appearing on the ground with a bright light. He glanced up at Derek, who stared back. "Char?"

Something told him that the Pokémon had accepted him. He held out his hand again, trying for a smile. It wasn't a real smile, true, but the Charmander seemed to understand that Derek was actually happy about this, and shook his hand.

"Good to have you on the team, Charmander. Let's win the Indigo League together—you, Soran, and me."

The Charmander smiled, and though all he said was "Char," Derek knew what he really meant was "You bet."

"Well, Derek," Chris said, walking up to Derek and putting his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I think it's about time we got to bed. Professor Oak's got some spare rooms if you'd like. The new League year doesn't officially start for another two months anyway, so you can take some time to train and relax."

Derek nodded, to show that he accepted the offer. Still, though, somewhere in his heart, he knew that he would need the extra time to complete the journey.

It was all a matter of time, he realized. It was all just a matter of time before he was on his way to defeat Michael—and find Yuki.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Well, there's your stinking chapter. Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, be sure to leave a review! =)**


	4. Partners

"Hey."

"Don't interrupt my sleep," was Derek's immediate response.

The boy didn't move from his bed. It took a few minutes for the fact that it _wasn't _Chris' voice to register in his mind. His bemusement urged him up, or at least enough for him to look the person in the face.

Something about his eyes rang a bell. Still, after trying to forget the memories of his past, Derek could hardly remember why he cared about green eyes. The boy's eyes sparked a certain curiosity in Derek; they were bright and shining, glimmering with a bright light of intelligence and happiness. He looked...content.

"Hey," he said again. He was grinning, Derek realized.

Etiquette drove him to answer properly. "Good morning." His tone sounded painfully false, but the boy didn't seem to notice. Instead, Derek received another flash of teeth.

It was only then—_only _then—that Derek realized that this boy had been sitting there for quite a while. He could see books lying on the ground around the boy's chair, most of them having titles starting with "A Trainer's Guide."

"So, Mr. Creeper, why were you watching me sleep?" he grumbled, forcing himself out of bed. His stomach, when touched, felt noticeably bumpy. He realized he had been sleeping on the chain, leaving indents in his skin. A sigh fleeted from his mouth.

"Uh..." The remark seemed to halt the boy's tongue, leaving him quiet. It took a few moments for him to come up with a response. "Well, I wasn't really _watching _you," he said, embarrassed.

Derek stifled a yawn with his hand. "Is that so." The sarcasm made it sound more like a statement than a question.

"It is so," the boy answered with a sense of confidence.

"Then get the _hell _out of my room," Derek snapped. His tone made the boy jump. "I sincerely _detest _having my sleep interrupted."

"Sincerely detest?" The boy's face gained a puzzled look. "So you...uh..."

"_Hate_, okay? I _hate_ having my sleep interrupted." Derek rolled his eyes. "What, is your vocabulary as limited as your—"

He stopped. Something about his own attitude was scaring him. This boy, with his mere presence, was bringing out more personality out of Derek than he had shown in the past few years. Normally he could contain himself. Usually, shyness pulled him back. Occasionally, he might have a few outbursts, such as with Chris' case.

But what was it about this boy? From his goofy smile to his carefree attitude, he showed complete ignorance towards the world's hardships. Yet, he still showed a trait Derek realized was what made a human an adult: understanding of experience.

"As limited as my what?" the boy asked, curious.

"As your manners," Derek finished, keeping his original remark to himself. No need to insult someone by curse words when you can make them feel apprehensive of their own actions. "Look, just why are you in my room, anyway?"

"I got bored waiting for Professor Oak to wake up." His tone was casual.

"So you snuck into my room..."

"Yuh-huh."

"Grabbed a chair and a few books..."

"Mmhmm."

"And simply sat there, waiting for me to wake up?"

"You mumble in your sleep," the boy remarked, his tone filled with assent.

"My God." Derek dropped back onto his bed, closing his eyes. "What is _wrong _with you?"

"W-what? Did I do something wrong?"

"Invasion of the privacy of others, disruption of my sleep, interrogation of my personal history—"

"I didn't do _that_!" the boy protested. His green eyes sparked with indignation.

Derek's comeback was lost on his tongue. Something about this situation was extremely familiar to him. A horrible sense of déjà vu filled him as he gazed at the boy. He shook his head, sending shaggy locks flying, trying to rid himself of the memories that filled his head.

"Do you wear color lenses?" the boy asked, watching Derek.

Derek gazed at him curiously. "No, I don't."

An awkward silence followed. The other child continued to gaze at Derek, though not in an impolite way. It was like being alone in a room with lots of ghastly lights and dark shadows—it just felt like you were being watched. It wasn't like being _stared _at, but almost like being seen through the corner of someone's eye.

Extremely uncomfortable.

"So what's your name?" Derek asked. He cursed inwardly; that was only further strengthening his recollection. Again, though, etiquette drove him to abide by courteous law. "My name is Derek."

"Derek..." The boy gazed at him. The look in his eyes showed something Derek wasn't sure of. Curiosity? Apprehension? Bemusement? Whatever the case, it wasn't a look Derek liked. "Well, my name's Damion. Damion Bl—"

A sudden pounding on the door shocked the two of them into silence. Derek felt as if he should answer with a "Come in," but something caught his tongue. The door opened regardless, though, and relief filled him when he saw it was just Chris. It would have been difficult if it had been another stranger—or worse, Professor Oak.

"I see you two are getting along," Chris said. Derek couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or if he actually thought that. "Anyway, Professor Oak is up. Damion, you can go get your starter Pokémon, unless you'd like to stick ar—"

He was cut off mid-sentence by Damion rushing past him and out the door. He let out a small chuckle before turning towards Derek. "Well, that answers that. Your plans?"

Derek chose his words carefully. Something about Chris was intimidating, though not in a scary way. It was like a pressure to speak the truth, yet also retain it. "Leaving."

"Gym circuit?"

Derek nodded. "I want to challenge the Indigo Plateau." It wasn't necessarily a lie; it was just not the whole truth.

"Well," Chris said, leaning against the wall casually, "after yesterday, I don't doubt your skills. You could probably make it at least to the semi-finals on your first try."

Derek stared at him. To be one of the top four Trainers of the Kanto region at the age ten—or actually, eleven—was completely unreasonable. There was no possible way that Chris could actually assume that Derek could hold that kind of talent.

"Only if you train, though," he added.

"Chris."

He inclined his head, showing he was listening.

"Did you challenge the Indigo Plateau before?"

Chris shook his head. "But I'm going to. I've collected all eight badges already." He pulled a badge case from one of his pockets, releasing the latch to show Derek eight glistening badges, each in order of the Gym circuit.

"Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, and the Earth Badge," Derek listed, checking each of them. The word "amazing" was lost in his mouth as he gazed at them.

"Yep. It's another two months until the tournament, so I'm trying various methods of training. One of them is helping others."

Derek gazed at him, not sure whether he was supposed to be amused or convinced. "I see," he said simply, avoiding any direct dialogue. A question, though, escaped. "How can you assume that I'd do so well, then?"

Chris glanced at him. "Easy."

"How so?"

"I just know."

It was such a simple remark that Derek wanted to slap a hand to his face. Yet, somehow, Chris said it with such conviction, Derek wasn't sure what to think. It was hard to tell about this guy—he was so self-contradictory in so many ways. Close yet distant,

"Well, I would think that there are only two people I should be worried about," Chris said. Derek glanced at him. "There's the runner-up from last year: Matthew Summers. The other would be Andrea Rose."

Neither of the names were ones Derek knew, but he pretended to show interest. "Andrea Rose, huh."

"Mm." Chris sighed, closing his sapphire eyes. "She's powerful, all right. And I'm not used to Johto Pokémon, so she's twice as bad."

'_Johto? That can't be good._' "I see."

"I would—"

"Heyyy!" called Damion, bursting through the door. He was met by a glare and a gaze of amusement. "Derek!"

"What." He wasn't sure whether to avert his stare or not.

Derek's lack of enthusiasm did nothing to deter Damion's enthusiasm. He waved a Poké Ball around proudly. "I got it! I got it!"

"Congratulations," the red-eyed boy said, rolling his eyes.

"Grats," Chris echoed, though he said it seriously. "Who'd you choose?"

He flashed a grin. "How about I show you? Derek, I challenge you to a battle!"

Silence.

"If I said no..." he began.

"Don't be like that! It's in the Trainer contract—you can't turn down a challenge!"

"Do you have two Pokémon?" Derek asked, changing the subject. It was to his dismay when he heard Damion's answer.

"Yep!"

Another sigh escaped from Derek. "All right. Fine. Let's just end this quickly."

"Hah." Chris smiled at the two of them, laughing lowly. "I'll be referee for you two. Ah, we might as well get Professor Oak to watch, as well. He loves watching...How does he put it? 'Budding new Trainers in action.'"

-.-.-

"This'll be a two-on-two match between Derek and Damion, both of Pallet Town. Yadah-yadah-yadah, let the match begin!" Chris shouted.

"Let's show them all," Derek grumbled. Impatience took him over, causing him to throw his Charmander's Poké Ball immediately, not waiting for Damion.

Upon release, the Charmander looked up at Derek. It was then Derek noticed that he hadn't given his Pokémon a nickname. Casually, he asked, "So how about I call you Felix?"

He got a Scratch attack in response, scathing Derek's hand and leaving a bloody mark. He stared; he had no idea Pokémon actually rejected nicknames. Then again, it was probably something he should have expected. "...Flash...?"

This time, he managed to dodge the attack. "Flare?" he asked halfheartedly, choosing the most generic name he could think of.

Strangely enough, the Charmander seemed to respect the name. He stopped attacking, instead nodding and turning back towards Damion, who was throwing a Poké Ball. Derek sighed; he had two difficult Pokémon, and it was only the first day. The fact that Chris and Professor Oak were both laughing didn't help his outlook, either.

"Go, Swift!"

"Swift" turned out to be a Wooper, which looked anything _but _swift. Still, Derek knew he couldn't underestimate it. Then again, he felt reluctant to battle. What was the point, really? Sure, he had battled Flare, but that had been different. This was a Trainer battle, and it was strategy versus strategy here. Plus, this was his first battle, and there was no way he could feel confidence here.

Reluctance battled resolution. This was necessary, he knew, but he still didn't want to. He would battle, he decided, but there was no way he would battle seriously.

"Flare, use that...fire-Scratch thing. Flame Slash," he called out instinctively, choosing the first words that came to mind. "Aim for the left."

A strange feeling filled him. He could tell the movements of Flare, but the Wooper was completely out of his senses. Maybe it was just a special affinity towards Flare. The word "destiny" rung in his head, but he pushed the thought away. There was no way there would be any convenience like that. After all, what with—

"Don't get distracted!" Chris snapped, for the first time interrupting Derek's train of thought. The young Risque turned back to the battle, rather shocked. "Keep focus!"

"Swift, Water Gun!"

"Slash through it with Flame Slash!"

As soon as Flare cut through the Water Gun, a burst of steam clouded up the view. With the sun only just rising along with the steam, it was nearly impossible to see anything. Still, Derek could tell where Flare was, which helped him judge where Swift was.

He sighed. "Straight forward with a Scratch."

"'First rule of no-sight battles,'" Damion mumbled to himself, "'if possible, find the source and remove it. If not possible, move to the second rule: find a counter method. Use ranged attacks to find the enemy.' Swift, use Water Gun, straight into the air!"

Some battle instinct told him to return Flare. Yet, at the same time, an emotional impulse made him realize that the Charmander _wanted _to battle, _wanted _to win. Even if Derek didn't want to, at least he would battle for his Pokémon. After all, Flare was probably burning with a desire to prove himself on the battlefield.

A feeling rushed into his mind. It wasn't adrenaline—he had felt that yesterday, when battling Flare for the first time. This was duty. It didn't give him the bolstering power he had felt, but it did show him that it could be forced, even if only to a lesser degree.

He tried it. Everything he had learned he put to the test: studying the battlefield, type advantage and disadvantage, Pokémon statistics, and even move specialties and attributes that he should be wary and take use of. None of it "clicked" into his head, not like yesterday, but he could still study and find a strategy to use.

The water was surging into the air, now. A sudden wind blew the steam away, revealing the two Pokémon. Derek could tell Flare was itching to battle. Memorized abilities and stats flooded his mind: Charmander's tail acted as a sign of life. Claws are important as fire attacks have yet to develop to full strength. The tail is strong, fast, and flexible. The head is hard enough for attacks such as Headbutt, but not a great weapon.

Greatest attack for Derek to use? Hit-and-run technique.

"Back, Flare," Derek ordered.

The Charmander obeyed, but with a reluctance that Derek understood. Still, it was necessary to dodge the water. He watched as the rain-like attack spilled to the ground, wetting the grassy field and turning it slightly muddy.

Mud? What did he care for mud about? All it did was make the battlefield more suitable for Swift and resist fire attacks from Flare. It impaired movement, was in the way, and was simply a nuisance.

'_Then again_,' Derek thought, '_with mud comes_...' He turned towards Flare immediately. "This is gonna be foul play—literally. Slash with the mud!"

Strangely enough, Flare seemed to understand. He looked reluctant again, and Derek could understand once again that he wanted to charge in and fight fair-and-square. Still, Flare obeyed, and sent a mud ball at Swift—who took a surprise hit to the face.

"T-that's dirty!" Damion complained.

"Quite," Derek agreed. "I hope you can wash that off."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Do I know it?" Derek's red eyes seemed to flash as the sun began to rise in the distance. He could see every detail of the battlefield, from Flare's muddy claw to Damion's baffled expression. "Flare, Flame Slash."

Swift was knocked straight out by a single bash to the head. The poor Pokémon fell to the ground, unconscious, forcing Damion to return it.

"Well, Swift is no longer able to battle. Flare won that round!" Chris declared.

"Flare, return," Derek said simply. He pointed the Poké Ball at Flare, watching as the red beam of light illuminated and absorbed the Charmander. He slipped it into a coat pocket and took out Soran's Poké Ball. "Let's show them all, Soran."

"Solar, let's do this!"

Soran leapt out of her Poké Ball, soaring through the air and landing as lightly as a Flying Pokémon. Opposite her stood an almost tired-looking Bulbasaur, gazing lazily at the energetic Eevee. Solar, as it was called, let out a yawn.

"Razor Leaf!" Damion commanded.

The Bulbasaur blinked, turning towards him in confusion.

"Y-you don't know Razor Leaf?"

"These Pokémon are quite young," Professor Oak explained. "They don't know many moves, except for the basics."

"B-but that Charmander had that Fire Punch attack!"

"Flame Slash," Derek corrected halfheartedly.

"Yeah, that!"

"Well, Flare is...a unique case," the professor explained sheepishly.

"Uh...Tackle, then!"

This time, the Bulbasaur obeyed. It lunged forward with a surprising burst of speed, though nothing Soran couldn't handle. She easily sidestepped the attack, watching with amusement as Solar plowed into the ground.

"Shadow Ball," Derek commanded.

"Vine Whip...?" Damion called out hesitantly.

To Damion's relief and Derek's disgust, the young Bulbasaur seemed to know the attack. Solar smashed the ground with its vines hard enough that it bounced out of the Shadow Ball's way. The explosions of shadowy energy cast an eerie glow, disorienting the Bulbasaur.

"Use Return!" called the red-eyed boy. His voice was colored with a mixture of boredom and anxiety to finish the match. He watched as Soran rushed forward, glowing with a white light. She was like a shooting star, racing across the fields—

The fields?

'_Crap_,' he inwardly cursed. He had forgotten about the mud, only to remember as he watched Soran slip on the wet grass and mucky ground. She skidded a few feet, and fell over, confused.

"Vine Whip, again!" Damion shouted.

Options raced through Derek's head. He could order Soran to flatten herself against the ground—but that would hardly help. He could order a Shadow Ball barrage on Bulbasaur, and let her take the hit, possibly resulting in a double knockout. Or he could order Soran to shoot the vine itself with one large Shadow Ball.

He opted for option two. It would be the most effective method, as he wasn't sure when he could get a chance to attack again. Turning towards Soran, he called out, "Aim a Shadow Ball at that Bulbasaur!"

The sharp _snap _of the Vine Whip made Derek wince. He could only manage how much it hurt Soran. Still, the Eevee shot a powerful ball of shadows across the battlefield. It skidded across the ground, sending up a cloud of dust, but still it hit its mark with perfect accuracy.

Somehow, Chris seemed to see what happened, even before the smoke cleared. "Double knockout!" he yelled. "Amazing, really!"

"I daresay that was one of the best rookie matches I've seen yet!" Professor Oak said, laughing merrily. He, too, showed no signs of confusion as to how the match had ended. "Good show!"

Damion looked embarrassed, though he was grinning despite it. Derek, on the other hand, noticed how Professor Oak had said "rookie." Of course they were no professionals, but still, it stung Derek's pride a bit.

He stepped forward, taking Soran up in his arms. He wiped the mud from her fur sympathetically, getting his hands dirty in the process. She licked his face and asked with a small voice, "Eevee?"

"Yeah, you did great," he assured her.

She smiled and let out a cross between a hacking cough and a burst of laughter.

"Hey, Derek."

He turned towards Damion, nodding to show he was listening. "Yeah?"

"I've been thinking. You're an awesome Trainer—"

"We're both rookies, you can't say anything yet."

"—so how about we travel together?"

Derek stared at him. He felt the corner of his lip twitch in the vague shadow of a smile, yet it was more out of a sarcastic amusement than anything else. Regardless, he couldn't deny that it was an okay deal. From what he had seen so far, maybe Damion could be useful. He had brought out a lot of Derek's strength, even if he didn't mean to. Maybe, just maybe, this boy could help Derek defeat Michael.

He gave Damion a fake smile. "Sure. Why not."

Damion beamed back at him. "Then it's decided! We're rivals from now on, all right? And don't think I'm gonna lose next time we battle."

"It was a draw," Derek argued.

"But you won the first round," Damion pointed out.

"Only because I used an illegal move."

The two boys watched each other. Damion, losing to Derek's intense gaze, simply said, "Fine. Next time, I'll win, though."

"Have fun trying."

Damion held out a hand. Derek at first thought he was going to reach forward and grab Derek's wallet from his pocket, but then realized he was just holding out his hand for a handshake. Reluctantly, Derek held his own hand to Damion's, and ended up having his arm nearly ripped off by Damion's vigorous "handshake."

"Partners?"

Derek gazed down at Soran, who was cuddled up on his arm and against his chest. She blinked at him sleepily, before returning to her sleep. He turned back towards Damion, nodding.

"Partners."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - ****Bet that gave you a laugh, eh Odile? What with the Damion jazz and all, heh. But really, I had no idea that was the Sinnoh rival name before making this series.**

**Anywho, R&R! And don't expect updates this often; I just had to take a break from Lost Memories.**


	5. Start of an Adventure!

_ The cup shattered. He had no idea how. Had he thrown it? Had it shattered in his hand? All he knew was that blood was spilling from his right hand palm, and that pieces of the shattered mug lay on the wood of the floor, colored by a crimson liquid._

_ He looked up wearily, hands shaking. The girl in front of him, lying on the couch, was crying. There was no satisfaction in the action. There was no relief, no guilt, no sorrow or hate. All he felt was empty, as if he had just exhausted himself._

_ A sudden dizziness took ahold of him. He nearly fell over, but he managed to walk forward and grab a roll of paper towels. It wasn't until he pulled a few sheets off that he noticed his hand was soaking through the material, coloring it a bloody red. He was bleeding. A lot._

_ It was just his luck that his mother walked in at that very moment. She cast one look at the bloody hand of the boy, the broken mug, and the crying Jane, before beginning to shout. The words didn't make any sense to him; his head felt blank, as if enveloped in a sort of darkness. He wanted to move, to fight, to scream, to cause suffering and pain to someone else—anything but this nothingness._

_ The only words that did reach him were: "Michael and Aliana wouldn't do something like this."_

_ The pain in his right hand doubled on the spot. He began to shake out of pure fury; she didn't care about him at all—he was just a tool, a shadow, a copy of her perfect children. He was nothing to her, nothing but a thing that she could use. The angrier he got, the more his hand seemed to hurt, until it felt like his hand would be cut in half by the pain._

_ "Shut up!" he shouted, delusional in the swallowing darkness. He glared at his mother—no, the monster in front of him, shaking with an outrage he had never felt before. "Why do you never—"_

-.-.-

Derek blinked. The memory was fading fast, but it had been clear—so very clear for those few moments. He shook his head, turning his attention back towards Chris, who was confirming they had all the supplies they needed.

"Trainer Card?" the older boy asked.

"Check." Derek responded.

"Check!" Damion agreed.

"Pokédex?"

"Check."

"Checkaroo!"

"Poké Balls?"

"Check."

"Checky!"

"And phone?"

"Check."

"Uh..."

The two glanced at Damion. Chris gazed at him with a faint frown of dismay, whereas Derek simply wanted to see why Chris looked so worried.

"Hm...well, you'll be with Derek, so that's all right. Do you know your family's phone number?" Chris asked.

Damion nodded exuberantly. "'Course! It's...Uh...I think I wrote it down..." Damion shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "Definitely! It's definitely somewhere."

Chris motioned with his hand his amused approval. He turned towards Derek. "And you?"

"I won't be needing to call my family" was what he wanted to say, but what came out was, "Yeah. I'm set."

"All right. Hand me your Pokétch for a sec; I'll add my phone number to your contacts list."

Derek unhooked the watch from his wrist and handed it to Chris, watching as he clicked through the options and settings. It took only a few moments before it was done, and Derek fastened the watch back on quickly. He cast a look at Chris, who was rummaging through the various things in his backpack.

"While you guys were sleeping, I bought a few of these for you. They're not much, but here," Chris said, handing each boy a small grocery bag. "Fingerless gloves made of a mix of rubber and cloth, so you won't get electrocuted; belts with special magnets for holding Poké Balls; a TM Case; and a TM each to go with it."

Derek, finding the mentioned TM already inside the TM Case, took it out to examine what it was. The white CD seemed blank, though on one side held the characters "IV 10" in an inky black near the top. When he turned to look at Damion, Derek noticed that they had different TMs: Damion's was, instead of a white TM, a green disc with the characters "IV 53."

"In case you don't know, TM 10 is Hidden Power," Chris explained, "and TM 53 is Energy Ball."

Derek glanced at the TM Case, which looked like a mix between a storage box and a stereo system. He found that there was a small hole that could fit a TM. "And we put the TMs in this slot to activate them?"

Chris nodded. "They can only be used once, though, so be careful on who you use it on. They teach some pretty wicked moves, so just be sure to make it count."

"Awesome! Thanks Chris!" Damion exclaimed, grinning. He held the items in his hands like they were made of pure gold. "And I thought I wasn't gonna _get _a birthday present!"

"Today's your birthday?" both boys asked, staring in shock.

Damion smiled sheepishly. "Um, it was actually yesterday, but you know."

An awkward silence followed. Derek glanced at his Pokétch, which read 03/06—March 6th. Their birthdays were only a month away from each other, he realized with a wave of bewilderment. It was so odd, yet so sensible. At least there would be no way to forget what day his birthday was on.

"Congrats on that, then," Chris said, though his tone made it obvious he wished he hadn't been the one to break the silence. "Uh, we'll celebrate your next one better. Probably."

"Not a problem! I got my Pokémon, so it's cool," he said, grinning.

"Speaking of which," Derek cut in, "who's the last Trainer going to be; the one who gets Squirtle?"

Chris put a hand to his chin in classic thinking position. His eyes wandered around the fields for a few moments as he thought. After what seemed like minutes to the impatient Derek, he finally spoke. "I have absolutely no idea."

"Great, thanks." The sarcasm sounded exceptionally bitter, which he guessed was from his lack of social skills. He scowled. "Shall we go, then?"

"'Kay!" Damion agreed, grinning again. The boy never ceased to smile over the smallest of things—his energy was starting to both affect Derek's mood and get on his nerves.

"Wait a sec, guys. Are you taking the Gym circuit, or simply traveling any which way?"

The two glanced at each other before turning their gaze back towards Chris. Damion frowned, as if he had never thought of this before. Derek, on the other hand, asked simply, "The circuit is the simplest route, no?"

"Not quite. It does give you a sort of rising challenge, true, but I've heard Cinnabar and Viridian have both been closed. That means you're two Badges short of a full run." Chris smiled in a rather apologetic way. "And nobody wants that, now do they?"

"Hmph," was the only response Derek could think of. He turned towards Damion and said, "Well? You got anything in mind?"

"Maybe...take the first six of the circuit, and then move on to the nearest two Gyms. That'll work, won't it?" Damion said. His smile returned with a vengeance.

In contrast, Derek sighed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"All right. Call me if anything happens, you two," Chris said. He winked at them casually. "If you run into Matthew or Andrea, be sure to tell 'em Chris Lightwood isn't losing this tournament." After a moment's hesitation, he also added, "But make sure _not to fight them_."

"But I wanna try!" Damion protested. "Wouldn't that be good training?"

"Training's no good if you get slaughtered," Derek muttered under his breath.

"You guys are just rookies. Don't you even try it," Chris warned. "Even if you each had six Pokémon already, and fought with all of them against either of those two's one Pokémon, you'd lose. Badly."

"You don't say," Derek grumbled, again too quietly for the others to hear. "Go figure."

"Okay, okay." Damion turned towards Derek, beaming with a smile as bright as the morning sun. "C'mon, let's get a move on!"

"Sure." It was the only thing he could say without sounding like a dying Houndour.

"Well, I trust you two," Chris said, voice full of confidence. He put his hands on the two boys' shoulders. "You guys will make it to the Indigo League, so try your best."

"Gotcha!"

"If you say so," Derek said.

The three nodded towards each other one last time, before the younger two boys set off. It was time to begin, Derek realized. It was time to finally prove that he was his own self—not just a shadow of his siblings.

-.-.-

Route 1 was...disgusting.

"Dodge that Spearow!" Damion shouted, avoiding a few of his own.

"I know, I know!" Derek responded, the faintest of growls coloring his voice. He dodged the beak of one of the Tiny Bird Pokémon by dropping to the ground, though two more dived from the sky. He pushed himself off the ground before they could use their Peck attacks. "Why the hell did we have to stumble into their nesting place?"

"My bad!" Damion groaned, rolling on the ground to avoid another deadly beak. "I thought we could at least get some lunch off these Berries!"

"Lunch? _Lunch_?" Derek scoffed, his sarcasm reaching the limit. "We're going to _be _lunch you moron!"

The journey had been going quite smooth up until that point. They had left Pallet Town without meeting anybody they knew, and had began their trek towards Viridian City. They hadn't encountered much on the grassy fields and dirt roads, except for a rather ferocious, territorial Rattata that had left quite the mark in Damion's arm. It had only taken Derek one pummeling to send it running.

Still, every person gets hungry at some point. The two had stopped, and only upon searching their bags did they realize they had nothing to eat. Being the sensible people they were, they began searching for Berry trees.

And so this happened.

"Wait a sec," Damion said, stopping his retreat. Derek looked up, noticing that the Spearow had all stopped attacking, eying Damion wearily with their beady eyes. "Why are we running? We're Trainers, aren't we?"

Derek stood up, blinking in surprise. "I forgot about that," he admitted.

"All right...Yeah! Let's go and show 'em, Swift, Solar!" Damion shouted, throwing two of the shining spheres into the sky. They burst open to reveal the Wooper and Bulbasaur, who both began to pummel the now incoming Spearow.

"Soran, Flare, let's show them," Derek whispered, tossing his own Poké Balls. They, too, burst open, bouncing back into Derek's hand as they did so. His two trusty Pokémon hit the field, and instantly understood the situation, beginning their onslaught against the birds.

"Go, Poké Ball!"

Derek turned, just in time to see Damion throw one of his Poké Balls towards a fallen Spearow. It split open and absorbed the small feathery bushel in with a red light before snapping shut. It shook on the ground a few times.

While he would have loved to continue watching, he was interrupted by a Spearow charging him from behind. He sidestepped it, though the bird's sharp beak cut a scratch into his cheek. It wasn't deep, but definitely painful. He barked a command to his Pokémon: "Flame Slash! Return!"

The fight continued for a few moments longer, though apparently Flare's intimidating fiery claws were too much for the birds to handle. They flew off, squawking like a pack of Murkrow. Flare and Soran walked back towards Derek, completely uninjured, though a bit dirty from fighting on the dirt road and grass fields.

The boy glanced towards Damion, who was holding a Poké Ball in his hand. Derek faked a small smile. "Did you catch it?"

"Uh...I think." His green eyes glistened with excitement. "Well, here goes!"

"Wait a sec, don't release that—"

"_Spearow_!" the newly caught Pokémon screeched upon release. It flew high into the sky, flapping its small wings rapidly to ascend, until it spotted the two Trainers and their four Pokémon. It dived, surging through the air like an arrow, pointed directly at...

"Dammit," Derek cursed, dodging out of the way. The Spearow nearly dived into the dirt, but pulled off an amazing comeback, opening its wings at the exact right moment to use its momentum as a charge. It flew towards Derek, faster than ever.

Irritation took him over. He glanced at his Pokémon, both of whom were watching with an amused curiosity. Derek scowled, and instead of dodging, grabbed the silver chain belt that he had been using as a second belt over his shirt. He used the the chain to catch the Spearow, slipping it over the beak and securing the hold.

Frowning, he held the tied-up bird by the end of the belt. Up close, he could see that it didn't look very angry or aggressive. Rather, it looked happy, letting out a few happy "Spearow!"s (as best as it could with the belt acting as a muzzle). The small bird's brown plumage was rather rough, particularly around the head, where it seemed to stick up like a Sandslash's quills. The bird's wings were red, though growing lighter in color until almost a whitish-pink at the edges. Its short, hooked beak was sharp as a blade, and along with the Pokémon's deadly eyes, Spearow had quite the intimidating image.

Derek held the Tiny Bird Pokémon closer to him, though avoided the sharpness of its taloned feet and beak. "Look, I don't really like doing this to you."

He got a muffled "Spear!" in response.

"So if I let you go, promise not to attack?"

The Spearow blinked, trying as hard as it could to nod with its head being pulled up by the belt.

"All right."

He unfastened the belt and chain, tossing the Spearow into the air to give it some flight momentum. It caught itself, soaring into the sky like—well, like a spear. It stopped mid-flight, turning back towards Derek and flying towards him, though this time much more slowly. It landed on his shoulder gently, though its talons were rather painful.

"Soran, got any good names?" Derek asked, turning towards the Eevee. He glanced at Damion. "Or you."

"Um...Sky...Spear...?" the other boy suggested halfheartedly.

Derek resisted the urge to slap a hand to his face. "SkySpear. Right. Soran, something better? Oh, we could actually use that..." He thought for a moment. Soran was a combination of two words, so why not do the same? _Sora_ meant sky. Sky...Spear? What was spear in Japanese? He bit his lip as he thought. This was another one of those moments where he needed Yuki. It was just too difficult to survive on his own.

"Ee!"

He turned back towards Soran, who was standing beside Flare. The Charmander's claw, Derek noted, was coated with dirt. It didn't take him long to figure out where it had come from as he turned towards the ground. Four characters in English had been written, and though rather shakily written, it was legible.

"_Yari_...Sorayari is a bit hard to say, so how about Sorari?" Derek suggested.

Damion blinked. "That's pretty cool!"

"Spear, Spearow!" the Pokémon on Derek's shoulder agreed.

Derek cast an amused glance towards his two Pokémon. "Great job you too. Where'd you learn how to write in English, Flare? And to write a Japanese word in English...phonetics?"

The Charmander simply shrugged its shoulders, motioning with its claws for something. Derek pulled out Flare's Poké Ball, proffering it him. Flare disappeared as he slapped his claw to the button, returning to his energy form.

The young Trainer turned back towards his Eevee. Soran seemed to be laughing, and he could tell she was amused by Flare's solitary attitude. Derek appreciated Flare, though, and the mystery of his Pokémon only further piqued his interest. He would learn, Derek decided. One day.

"C'mon Sorari, get off," Derek grumbled. The Pokémon wasn't necessarily _heavy _(only weighing two kilograms), but it was still a weight Derek didn't appreciate. "Why not go greet your actual Trainer or something?"

"Spear?"

Derek could only guess at what the Pokémon was saying. He pointed a finger at Damion. "That's your Trainer. Not me."

Sorari puffed out its feathers, as if in denial. It made a sharp _click_ with its beak in disapproval, and didn't make any move to get off Derek's shoulder.

"Sorari, if you don't go to your Trainer, you aren't going to get any stronger. I mean, don't you want to be a strong Fearow?"

The bird flapped its wings, in what Derek guessed to be a bird shrug.

"What about fighting strong Pokémon? If you go with Damion instead of me, you'll get to _battle _me. Isn't that cool? If you're with me, you have to battle him—and I don't think he looks strong enough for you."

"Hey!" Damion exclaimed in protest.

"Just trying to be persuasive," Derek responded with a shrug. "Not my fault Sorari thinks you're weak."

The Spearow, who had been quiet until that moment, flew off Derek's shoulder and onto Damion's head. It pecked the boy with its beak once, though not too aggressively. The boy still let out an exclamation of pain.

"Soran, boy or girl?" Derek asked, letting the Eevee jump onto his shoulder.

She patted him on the cheek with a paw once.

"Boy, then."

She nodded, her fur tickling his neck. He took her from his shoulder, holding her in his arms. She acknowledged his action by cuddling against his chest, purring like a Meowth.

Derek sighed. He glanced at Damion, who was looking at some information on Sorari via his Pokédex. Trying to find something to do, Derek wiped the blood trickling from the cut on his cheek and walked off towards the Berry tree they had originally been going towards. He took one of the Oran Berries for himself, trying to chew up the berry without breaking his teeth. He could almost feel the Berry heal his injury.

Every step was important, he realized. Every Pokémon they encountered, every moment they spent, every battle they had, every step taken—it all was going to lead up to Derek finding Yuki.

'_One day_. _One day soon, Yuki, I'm gonna find you_,' he promised to himself. '_Just you wait_.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN -** **Actually, the reason I'm uploading this chapter is because I got my pride sorta hurt by a guy who sent a PM to me (name won't be mentioned). He asked me rather politely if I was stalling or not for something or another-which I'm not. Well, in a way I am, since my co-writer hasn't talked to me in *#%*)# amount of months now, but other than that, no, I'm just lazy.**

**So here's chap 4. Welcome Sorari to the team, everybody. =)**


	6. Rain, Rain, Go Away

Derek stared down at his hands. The gloves he wore, given to him by Chris, fit reasonably well. They were comfortable, and he could grip things much more easily now. But that wasn't what he was looking at. Technically, he couldn't see what his eyes searched for—but he knew they were there.

The two scars, one on each of his palms, never seemed to disappear. One a fleshy pink color, on his left hand. One a darker, almost bloody color, on his right palm. He bit his lip; he had no idea where they had come from, but he could remember having them his whole life. Even as a child, he would ask Aliana, and had once even built up the courage to ask Michael—at least, before Michael had started to...shun him. There had been a time they had gotten along well.

But that time's long gone, Derek told himself. He shook his head, shaking the hair out of his eyes. With a hand, he gripped the back of his hair, pulling it out from underneath his jacket, as it had been tickling his neck.

"You need a haircut," Damion said, sitting next to him on the soft dirt.

"Yeah, I know I do," Derek answered, looking up from his palms. He pressed his thumb to his face a few times, gesturing to Damion that the boy had gotten pieces of the Oran Berry on his face. Damion complied, rubbing it off. Derek nodded when he saw it was gone. "But you know, I don't think haircuts are the worst of our worries."

"Well, what is?"

Derek pointed a finger at the sky. "It's gonna rain soon."

Damion looked up. The sky was as clear as a crystal, cloudless and with a shining sun. "Looks good to me. How do you know it's gonna rain?"

"I don't know, I just do," the boy responded, shrugging. "I always know."

"Right." Damion watched him before a smile spread across his face. "That's awesome. Can you predict snow, too?"

Derek stared at him, dumbfounded. He thought a moment before answering. "Maybe. I might have once or twice. But not as clearly as rain."

"Cool."

Derek turned towards their Pokémon, simply to distract himself from his own thoughts. He watched as Sorari circled Flare, who was chewing a Oran Berry (peel and all) casually. The Charmander ignored Sorari, as if he were a pest that need not be bothered with. To Derek, it looked as if the bird Pokémon wanted to fight—at least, that's what Sorari's body language seemed to dictate.

Turning his gaze towards the others, he saw Soran and Swift rolling around on the ground playfully, with an occasional sprinkle from Swift, or a display of shadows from Soran. Solar watched, looking amused, but as if he were more happy to be the viewer than the doer.

"Our Pokémon..."

"Yeah?" Damion asked, turning towards Derek. He, too, had been watching the Pokémon.

"Have you ever thought about your future team? The Pokémon you want to catch, the Pokémon who will help you win the Indigo League—all that sort of stuff."

Damion shook his head almost immediately. "I just think that the Pokémon that come to me will be the right ones for me. Don't you feel the same way?"

"To be honest, I didn't know I was going to be a Trainer until two days ago." Derek rolled his eyes. "My uncle seems to find the art of surprise a valuable asset."

"Asset, huh." Damion smiled at the word. "My old teacher used to tell me that word all the time. 'Timing is an asset that is essential in battle.' It was one of her favorite lines."

Derek glanced at him, amused. "What a coincidence. My older siblings loved that phrase. As well as, 'A Pokémon is only as good as the Trainer.'"

Damion laughed. "Well, then, I guess our Pokémon are pretty amazing, then, huh?"

Derek watched the boy as he laughed. He was genuinely surprised by the boy's confidence in himself; he held the same conviction in his own strength as Chris held in Derek's. Intrigued, Derek asked, "How can you be so confident in yourself?"

"Confident?" Damion shook his head, still beaming. "I'm not confident. It's just...a gut feeling. That you're a great Trainer. And that since I'm traveling with you, I'll become a great one."

It was Derek's turn to shake his head. "I'm not meant to be a Trainer. I understand battle, strategy, tactics, calculations, statistics, and all the rest of that, but I just...can't battle."

"I noticed that."

Derek glanced at him, curious.

"During our battle, you seemed sorta...halfhearted, almost." Damion shrugged at Derek before turning back to watching the Pokémon. "I don't know. I probably sound weird, don't I?" He laughed in a reserved manner, looking embarrassed with himself.

"Nah." Derek also turned his gaze towards back to the Pokémon. "You're right. I'm a bit reluctant to battle, is all."

"Bad memories?"

Derek picked his words carefully. "A bit, yes."

"Mm. I'll be sure to ask you about that one day. But for now, can we meet that Pokémon?"

"Pokémon?" Derek echoed, bewildered. Damion was staring at something behind Derek, who turned, confused. He stood up to get a better look. "What Pokémon?"

It was hard to see at first. Derek had no idea where to look. Towards the trees? In the sky? But it didn't take long to find that what Damion had been watching was on the ground—and moving at an incredible speed. It shone, whatever it was, glowing a glistening red. There was a loud, droning sound, coupled with what sounded like screaming humans. Derek guessed that it was an incredibly fast Scizor; the droning sound must have been coming from the wings, and the screaming noises the whistling air in between its steel plates.

Swallowing down his fear, Derek turned and returned his two Pokémon instantly and grabbed his and Damion's bags, tossing the latter to its owner. Damion caught it, strapping it on with a look of surprise. Derek grabbed the Poké Balls Damion had left behind on the ground and returned the rest of the Pokémon.

"Let's get the _hell _out of here," he growled.

"Wait, I wanna meet the Pokémon—"

Derek grabbed Damion by the wrist, pulling him along as he began running. Luckily, the boy (reluctantly) began to pick up the pace. Derek glanced behind them; the Scizor, instead of continuing down the path it had originally been going, seemed to notice them and began rushing towards them. Derek regretted looking back, and soon turned back to running straight forward.

Damion seemed to had made the same mistake. "It's gaining on us!"

"Oh gee, thanks Captain Obvious!" Derek barked.

Years of sitting around in a house with next to no exercise had taken its toll on Derek. He may have kept his slimness, but he had by no means kept his fitness. It was only a few seconds later that he was beginning to pant, and his chest began to sting with every pump of his heart. His legs began to burn from the strain.

"Screw this!" Derek shouted, half in pain from the over-exertion, half in irritation towards the Scizor. He grasped Damion's arm tightly and leapt sideways, tumbling down a hill he _hadn't _expected. They rolled a few times before sliding to the bottom. Pain from the tumble coursed throughout his body. Every inch of him seemed to ache, especially his head. Hearing Damion's groans didn't help either. Derek forced himself up as soon as he could, happy to hear that the droning sound had disappeared.

Unfortunately, the sound of humans hadn't.

"Hey, geeks, what'ch'ya doin' lying there on the ground?"

Derek forced his eyes open, looking up towards the voice. It hadn't been a Scizor at all, he noticed with an amused exasperation; just a red car. The drone must have been then engine—and the scream-like sounds really had been humans; humans screaming with laughter, that is.

The owner of the voice was a boy their age, with brown hair and green eyes. He wore a necklace around his neck that Derek noticed to be made of a glassy material that seemed remarkably similar to the chain that intertwined with Derek's belt. Something about the boy was extremely familiar. Something from the look in his eyes told Derek that they had either met, or Derek had met someone related to this boy.

Biting back a few questions, Derek answered, "Daily jog. You know, the usual."

"The usual, eh?" The boy chuckled, as did the girls in the car. There had to be a dozen of them, Derek noted with exasperation, and each of them had a distinct "cheerleader" look. "Hah! You have a sense of humor."

"Sense of humor?" Derek repeated sarcastically. "Oh, no, I wouldn't say that."

"I thought you were a Pokémon!" Damion interrupted, pouting. "That ain't cool."

The boy glanced at Damion with a look of interest. He cocked his head, and then burst out with laughter. "You two are idiots, aren't you?"

Derek struggled to put on a fake smile. "Idiots, maybe, but you should only say that after you battle us." He held up Soran's Poké Ball between his index finger and his thumb, motioning it back and forth. "What do you say to that?"

The boy smirked. "An amateur like you can't beat me." He shrugged his shoulders, and as he did so, Derek noticed that behind him, his cheerleaders mimicked the action. "Well, I could entertain you two."

The effort it took to sustain the fake smile grew larger. "Yes, it would be quite entertaining to watch you lose," Derek said viciously, flicking his wrist. The Poké Ball smacked against the ground with an echoing _clang _and bounced back to Derek, releasing the Eevee inside as it did so.

Derek glanced at Damion through the corner of his eyes. The green-eyed boy was still staring up at the boy in the car, as if captivated by something. Derek snapped his fingers to get his attention, but was ignored. Giving up, Derek turned back towards the boy, who had released a Squirtle.

Soran stared down (or rather, glared up at) the Tiny Turtle Pokémon with one of the most intimidating looks Derek had seen on her yet. He realized she must have noticed how he felt, and was responding with a show of agitation as well—if her Trainer was angry, she, too, would reveal her rage. The light blue turtle quivered as it stood on its two feet, and looked as if it wanted to retreat into its orange-brown shell.

"Well, first off, why don't ya get up here, so we can fight face-to-face?" the boy suggested, still smirking down at Derek.

He glared back with gleaming red eyes. "Face-to-face? Sounds good. But first, let's clear etiquette out of the way. My name's Derek, from Pallet Town. You?"

"Gary Oak, also from Pallet Town," the boy responded promptly. He flipped his hair back in a pompous manner as Derek stared at him in bewilderment. "What, don't say you don't know the grandson of Professor Oak when you see him?"

Derek opened his mouth to respond, but found his head empty of replies. Instead, he gripped the hand proffered to him, pulling himself up the small hill. He turned towards Damion, holding out his hand.

"Damion. _Damion_." Derek glared at the boy, who was still watching something without responding. "_Damion_! Answer me, damn it!"

"Huh?" The boy turned, green eyes flashing in the afternoon sun. "What?"

"What're you staring at?" Derek asked, confused by his behavior.

Damion blinked. "Can't you see that thing right there?"

"Right where?" Derek turned to where Damion had been staring, but only saw trees and empty fields. "I don't see anything."

"Really? But it's shining, like a light." Damion scratched his head in confusion. "Well, if you can't see it, I guess I'm just imagining things."

"Yeah, whatever." Derek cast a look towards Gary, who had gotten back into his car as soon as Derek had let go of his hand. He was driving the car out of the way, which Derek was eternally grateful for; he was taking the cheerleaders away as well. "C'mon, get up already."

"You sure you wanna battle?" Damion asked, taking Derek's hand. Together, they managed to get him up the slope, though Derek nearly let go from the weight. "I mean, you said you're a bit..."

"A bit reluctant, yes." Derek ran a hand through his hair out of pure habit, frowning a bit at the challenge ahead of him. He was planning on taking on the grandson of one of the most famous professors in the world. Even if they were both beginning Trainers, it wasn't going to be an easy match. "But I have a feeling that, even if I want to avoid this battle, it's an important one to me."

He turned when he heard Damion chuckle. The boy was grinning, green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. He held out his hand, just as he had after their battle. "Then go get him, eh partner?"

Derek shrugged. Instead of grasping Damion's hand, he slapped it, almost as if in a high-five. He didn't force a smile; Damion would understand that he appreciated the action. Derek inclined his head. "Gotcha, partner."

"Ee!"

"Squirtle? Squirt, squirt?"

The two boys turned towards the Pokémon, who were talking to each other. Derek watched Soran; her actions seemed almost agitated and rushed. The Squirtle, in contrast, looked almost exuberant, its tail wagging like that of a Growlithe's.

He understood why Soran was acting so strangely. He could feel his blood tingling, he could feel his head spinning—but he could last. He had done it before, and he would do it again. It was just one battle, and the faster he won, the faster they could get out of there.

"Well, you ready to lose?" Gary asked, standing a few meters away from Derek.

"You have to be ready to lose if you want to win," Derek responded calmly, despite his racing heart. He studied the battlefield, trying to find a way to use the field to his advantage. His eyes found his ticket to victory in moments. "And I practice what I preach."

Gary chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Begin!"

"Soran, Shadow Ball!" Derek barked immediately. "Towards the ground, then Return!"

"Wha—"

Gary never stood a chance, Derek thought to himself bitterly. The ground exploded from the burst of shadows, casting a dark dust cloud to encompass the field. Derek could hear the other two coughing from the smoke, but he had prepared himself, holding a sleeve to his mouth. He watched as the flickering white light of Soran's Return attack burst forward, seeking its confused target in the midst of the chaos.

A blast of light, and the battle was over.

"The..." Gary began, bewildered. "The heck was that?"

Derek glared at him as the cloud of dust cleared. Soran trotted back towards Derek gracefully, rubbing herself against his leg. The Squirtle, on the other hand, was unconscious on the ground, not moving. Derek shivered, feeling the moisture in the air. Rain was going to fall, and soon. "That, my friend, was _checkmate_. Let's go, Soran, Damion."

Damion shrugged. He wagged a finger at Gary, saying, "Don't mess with Derek when he's angry. That's what we learned today."

Gary stared. "I don't get it. What happened?"

"Gary, if you must know, I manipulated the terrain of this area. There's a link of Rattata holdings underground near this area, so by shooting a Shadow Ball into one, it caused a chain reaction of scattering dust out of everyone of them." Derek glanced at him one last time. "Let this be a lesson to you: There's no such thing as cheaters in this sort of battle—only those who are ingenious enough to find new tactics."

He walked off, not looking back, with Damion and Soran following suit.

-.-.-

"And then you were all like, 'There's no such thing as cheaters.' That was so cool! I mean, seriously, you should have seen the look on his face!"

"Yeah, Damion, I was the one who said the line," he grumbled, scowling. "Besides, I didn't do anything special. He just didn't see that move coming."

"Which is why it was so cool!" Damion insisted, voice echoing. "I mean, really, you beat him in ten seconds!"

"Eight point forty-seven according to my Pokétch," Derek corrected. He shrugged. "But I digress. Can't we just get some sleep?"

"I thought you said you couldn't sleep when it was raining?"

"That doesn't mean I don't want to try. Besides, we want to get to Viridian Forest by tomorrow, so just get some sleep."

"All right, all right. But it sure was nice of those people to let us sleep here, wasn't it?"

Derek sighed. He could almost see his breath forming in the cold, dank room. "Sure it was. I didn't expect them to let us sleep in a Gym, but I guess that's what happens when the Leader is out of town."

"Mm."

Silence filled the room for a few, blissful seconds. Derek closed his eyes, recalling the events of the day. They seemed already so foggy, as if they were distant memories. He could still feel his blood racing, though, as the rain continued to pour outside. He could hear the cackling lightning, the roaring thunder, and the whispering wind—

"Derek?"

"_What_, Damion." He kept the volume of his growl to the bare minimum.

"You said that you knew the battle was important to you, right?"

"I did."

There was a few moments of silence. Then: "What was so important? You beat him so easily, so what was it?"

"It's because I beat him easily, Damion."

"...I don't get it."

Derek's eyes opened slowly as he rolled the words around in his mind, trying to find a way to put the feeling into words. "It was like watching myself, Damion. He was a representation of what too much pride does to a Trainer. So we both learned something from me beating him."

"And what's that?" Damion's voice was muffled by him yawning.

"That pride makes you a prick. Now shut up and let me sleep." '_After all, I still need to figure out what exactly I learned from all this._'

Damion chuckled, the low laughter echoing in the soft small room. Derek rolled his eyes in exasperation; the boy was just too tiring. He could never keep up with Damion's energy and enthusiasm.

"Hey Derek?"

"Seriously, Damion, _what_."

"G'night."

Derek blinked in surprise. He glanced at Damion, his eyes focusing on the dark figure of the boy's body. He was moving ever so softly, which Derek guessed was because of him breathing. He turned back towards the ceiling, letting out another sigh.

"Yeah, yeah." Derek let out an exasperated breath of laughter. "Good night, partner."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - ****Who doesn't love a good filler chapter?**

**Really, though, I hope I can keep up my writing enthusiasm-at least for the two weeks left of my holiday vacation. I'm not usually the type to write an outline for what I write, but I did this time, so expect some quicker updates. (Maybe instead of a month, I'll update once every three weeks!)  
><strong>

**/sarcasm off Okay, bad jokes aside, this is where Derek starts to be influenced by Damion. Just remember this chapter: Derek _ran_ from the "Scizor."**

**Anyway, if you haven't gotten it by now, look at it this way: Derek took Charmander; Damion took Bulbasaur; Gary took Squirtle. Can anyone say...Ash Ketchum?**

******CHAPTER EDIT: Wait, wtf, since when was it Christmas Eve? I mean, I'm not the most "holiday spirit" sorta guy, but even so, WTF! HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THIS! I apologize for this not being a festive chapter, guys. My bad, T_T I'll write something up quick.  
><strong>


	7. Christmas: Memories of Snow

He unbuckled the belt that he had fastened over his shirt, glancing at it with tired eyes. The silver chain wrapped around the cloth belt acted as a magnet towards Poké Balls, which had intrigued Derek. Now, though, it was only uncomfortable to try and sleep with on. He undid the belt hanging in his pants' belt loops as well, laying both belts beside him.

A sigh escaped from the boy's mouth. The rain had stopped, he could tell, but the air was still damp. No matter how long he lay there, no matter how hard he tried to calm his mind, he couldn't sleep in these conditions. Giving up, he stood up and, after a moment's hesitation, grabbed both his bag and Soran's Poké Ball. Careful not to wake Damion, he slipped past the boy's sleeping figure towards the door, gently loosening the wooden door's lock before exiting through the opening.

He grimaced as the damp air touched his skin. Instinctively, he tugged at his jacket to cover himself, to fend off the moist winds. It wasn't that he minded the cold—he just couldn't stand the feeling of water. It almost seemed to sting, like a sudden burst of temperature against his body. Strangely enough, there had never been problems _drinking _water. Maybe his skin just wasn't suited for wetness.

The serenity and calmness of the silent Viridian City seemed to push aside the thoughts. The dark moonlight, along with the scattered lampposts, were the only sources of light in the dark city. He could see the stone streets, colored with shadows of trees and buildings. The wooden houses all showed boldly in the dark, almost as if they were glowing. The only noises Derek could hear were his own steady breathing and the rare scurrying of the nocturnal Pokémon.

It was really quite boring.

Derek unzipped the opening of his backpack and pulled out several objects, trying to find something he could distract himself with. The TM Case he had received, the first-aid kit Setsora had insisted on, the spare clothes, his wallet, his Berry bag—nothing of interest popped up, until he reached the very bottom of his bag. There was a little bundle, which seemed to be a small, soft black blanket, folded up into a square. Derek pulled it out, frowning at his uncle's antics. He hadn't needed such a thing—even if it was nice of him to think of doing so. With a slight reluctance, he slowly unfolded it.

When he unraveled the entire blanket (which turned out to be only big enough for Derek's legs), something red fell to the ground. He picked it up, feeling the cloth in his hands. Judging from the strong smell, Setsora had sprayed it with some kind of scent—either that, or Derek was hungry and smelling the Berries in his Berry bag.

Somehow, he recalled the smell. It brought back memories of warmth, and with it, a strong sense of nostalgia. It took him nearly a full minute to remember what the cloth was, and where it had come from. A memory, so brief he almost missed it, flashed into his head. It was so sudden, so quick, that he almost believed it was just a fleeting thought, and nothing more.

But he _did _remember. It had been three years, but he still remembered.

"Yuki..." he whispered to himself, staring down at the cloth. No...not cloth.

He grasped Soran's Poké Ball in his hand. He stared down at it for a few moments, recalling just how amazed he had been the first time he had seen the Eevee hatch from her egg, before releasing the Pokémon inside. Soran leapt gracefully into the air, landing softly on the ground, staring up at her Trainer with sleepy yet curious eyes. Derek gazed at her, a frown of regret forming on his lips. He felt a deep emptiness in his chest, the way he always did as he felt close to tears. He tied the gift he had received from Yuki around Soran's neck.

"It's where it always belonged," he whispered sadly. "I can't believe that after all this time, I completely forgot you used to wear this Red Scarf around your neck."

Soran mewed softly, touching the scarf with a paw gently. She stepped forward, laying down on Derek's lap and closing her eyes, purring with satisfaction. Derek, realizing that the blanket had been for Soran, draped it over her, stroking her fur softly.

"Remember the time you hatched, Soran?" Derek murmured ever so quietly, staring up at the dark clouds that blanketed the night sky. She looked up at him, opening one of her eyes. "You really didn't like me all that much, did you?" He let out a sigh, almost as if in a laugh. "Only Yuki could pacify you."

"Ee...Eevee."

He glanced at her. "I really do wish I could understand you sometimes. It's a bit strange, really. But I think that someday, I'll be able to understand you, and that this journey will help me to do that." He turned back towards the moon. "But who would have thought Yuki could understand you so easily? She knew all you wanted was a bit of love and care...I was just scared, is all."

A jolt of pain ran through Derek's leg. He winced, looking down to see that Soran had bit him. He frowned. "What was that for?"

"Eevee," she answered simply, in an almost insulting tone.

"Geez." He scowled at her. "Just like old times. What, do you feel nostalgia as well?"

She made on of the most common human actions: she turned her head away.

"Did you ever think about where that Oran Berry came from, though? It just dropped right out of the sky—it's really kinda funny."

"Ee."

Derek rolled his eyes. "What, not amusing for you? I guess you would think about that quite the while; after all, you're named after that incident, huh?"

A soft growl was all he got in response.

"_Sora_...Oran Berry...Even now, I still find that naming a bit funny. Yuki was a bit creative with her names, hm?" A sad feeling chilled his body. "I just wish I could find her. That's all."

This time, there was no response from Soran. He turned his attention to her, only to find her sleeping soundly on his lap, murmuring words in her own language. The smallest, tiniest shadow of a smile appeared on Derek's face as he watched her.

He gazed up at the night sky, remembering all the times he had looked up to it with his first friend. Almost as if it were too bright for him, he closed his eyes, letting the memories swallow him up.

ⅩⅩⅤ

_"Christmas?" he asked her, curiously._

_ "Yeah! Didn't you know?" Her tone was curious. "Don't all kids love Christmas?"_

_ "Christmas, huh?" Derek put a hand to his chin, trying to recall the term. A sudden thought flashed into his head. "Ah! I got this egg as an early Christmas present, I think."_

_ Yuki turned her head, watching the egg in its insulated case. Her sapphire eyes gazed at the egg with such a tender look that Derek felt she were worried the egg might break if her gaze was too strong. "From your sister, right?"_

_ Derek nodded, smiling for reasons he didn't understand. "Yeah. I don't know what it is, yet, but I bet it's something awesome!"_

_ Yuki smiled at the brown-and-white egg. "What do you think it might be?"_

_ Derek had to think for a minute. "Maybe a Sandshrew? That's what the colors look like...sort of."_

_ Yuki laughed, ever so lightly. "Really? I was thinking more on the lines of an Eevee."_

_ "No way," Derek said, "they're way too rare, even for Aliana!"_

_ "Well, we'll see who's right when it hatches." Yuki turned her smile towards him. Her expression was so warm, Derek barely noticed the falling snow around them. "Who knows, maybe it'll hatch on Christmas day!"_

_ "Think it'll hatch so soon?" Derek asked._

_Yuki nodded. "I think so."_

ⅩⅩⅤ

_"Wow, Yuki, you really were right," Derek exclaimed, watching in fascination as the newborn Eevee shook its fur. He held out a hand to the young Pokémon. "Hey there, little buddy."_

_ "She's so cute," Yuki whispered, eyes shining with excitement._

_ The Eevee, though, didn't seem to find this much of a compliment. She sank her teeth into __Derek's hand, making him wince in pain. She _hmph_ed, turning away and tending to her fur._

_ "Ouch," Derek grumbled, pulling his hand back. "Well, this one's pretty ferocious. How do you know she's a girl?"_

_ Yuki shrugged. "Woman's intuition?"_

_ Derek smiled at that. "Woman, huh? If you're a woman, I must be an old man."_

_ A small laugh escaped from the girl. "I wouldn't say that you aren't." She turned back towards the Eevee, her expression displaying her worry for the young one. "Think she's warm enough in this snowy weather?"_

_ Derek blinked, surprised that he hadn't thought of that before. "You're right...we should get her something to wrap herself in." He immediately began pulling off his jacket._

_ Yuki stopped him. "Wait, I've got a better idea." She stood up, pointing a finger at Derek. "Wait here, but try to keep her warm, okay?"_

_ "Wait, but how?" Derek asked, confused by her actions._

_ She shrugged. "Hold her, I guess. I'll be right back."_

_ He watched her go, a small frown pulling at his lips. He was glad that she was helping, but a bit reluctant to get near the ferocious creature. Mustering his courage, he crawled forward a few centimeters, just enough to be in arm's reach of the Pokémon._

_ "Ee..." she snarled, baring her teeth._

_ "I don't want to hurt you!" he exclaimed. "Honest! I just want...to...um, get to know you. As a person. As a friend."_

_ Something about the Eevee's growls told him she didn't care._

_ Derek opened his mouth to speak to the new Pokémon, but before he could manage to get any words out, he felt something painful collide with his head. His immediate thought was that Yuki had thrown a (very well-made) snowball at him, so he turned around indignantly—only to find she was still gone. Frowning, he looked down, trying to find what had hit him so hard in the head. To his surprise, it was an Oran Berry. _

_ He picked it up, looking around for any trees, but there weren't any. He glanced up, but again, the skies were filled with only the clouds and snow of the Christmas day. Turning towards the (his?) Eevee, he asked,"Um...do you want to eat this?"_

_ The Pokémon gave no answer. Derek took it as a sign of contemplation, and held out the Berry. She twitched, as if drawn in by the meal, before slowly reaching out for it. Derek laid it on the ground gently, watching as she leapt forward and snatched it in the blink of an eye, reappearing in the spot she had been a split second ago._

_ "Holy—that's fast," Derek exclaimed, barely noticing the Berry disappear. "Quick Attack?"_

_ "Ee," she answered, though he had no idea whether it was a "Shut up" or "Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" She turned towards her prize, and started taking bites with her sharp teeth. A confused frown found its way onto Derek's face. Since when did baby Pokémon have teeth, anyway? Or have enough strength to pull of a Quick Attack?_

_ "H-hey, I got the...where'd the Berry come from?" Yuki asked, appearing behind them and panting slightly. She shook the snow out of her hair. Derek noticed she was holding a small paper bag, the kind they gave you as a gift bag._

_ "Um, fell from the sky." Derek blinked. "Since when were stores open during Christmas?"_

_ Yuki winked at him. "I'm just too charming a girl to resist, apparently."_

_ "Charming, eh?" Derek echoed, chuckling. "Sure, sure. Though, what'd you get?"_

_ She handed the bag to him. "You should do the honors, Derek. After all, she's your Pokémon." She knelt next to him as he tried to open the bag with his freezing fingers. "Did you come up with a name for her yet?"_

_ Derek shook his head as he finally managed to get his shaking hand into the bag. "Nope. I considered Oran, but I think that's too cliché...and stupid."_

_ Yuki smiled. "Oran...from the sky?" She paused, as if in thought. "_Sora_...Oran...Soran?"_

_ "Soran?" Derek rolled the word around his tongue, and found it to be a nice name. "That's pretty nice, actually."_

_ Her smile widened. "Why, thank you."_

_ Derek pulled out what was inside the paper bag. It was something red, and made of cloth from the looks of it. Derek unraveled it, surprised to find it was a Red Scarf—or, at least, that's what it looked like. On closer inspection, though, he could tell it was made of different material, and the design was slightly different. It was more like a handkerchief than a scarf._

_ "It's a bit of a special little scarf," Yuki explained. "They told me it's impossible to cut or tear."_

_ He smiled. "That's really cool. I wonder what it's made of?"_

_ "I'm as clueless as you," Yuki said, shrugging._

_ "Well, whatever." Derek smiled at the Eevee, who was staring up at him with an intimidating glare. Still, he wasn't worried. "Was the Oran Berry good?"_

_ She snarled. He took it as a yes._

_ "Well, Yuki got you...a...um...scarf. So wanna put it on?" he asked. As soon as he said it out loud, he realized how stupid it sounded. "I mean, of course, if you want to and all..."_

_ The Eevee said nothing, again staring mutely._

_ Derek hesitantly moved his hands forward. In response, he got a Tail Whip and was knocked away. The only thing he could think of was '_At least it wasn't a bite_.'_

_ "Derek, mind handing that to me?" Yuki asked, gazing at the Eevee with curious eyes._

_ "Um, sure," Derek answered, returning the scarf to her. "Hope you know what you're doing."_

_ "I think I do," she said simply. She took a few steps forward, close enough for Soran to take a bite at her. Yuki, instead of holding out the scarf, held her hands open, as if in a hug. "What do you say, little Eevee? I know we don't know you, and you us, but we want to be friends with you." Her tone was so delicate, so convincing, Derek found himself nodding. He shook his head to snap out of it."We won't hurt you; we just don't want you to be out here in the cold."_

_ The Eevee regarded her with curious eyes. Her teeth disappeared with her snarl, and she took a small step towards Yuki. Derek watched, amazed that Yuki had calmed such an intimidating Pokémon. He realized a moment later how strange it was to be scared of an Eevee, and laughed despite himself._

_ Yuki gently picked up the young newborn, holding her against her chest. Carefully, she tied the scarf around the Eevee's neck. "There we go. How about we call you Soran?"_

_ There was a moment's silence. The Eevee twitched slightly before turning her face towards Yuki. She licked the young girl's cheek, as if as a way of agreeing._

_ "Then it's settled. Welcome to our little family, Soran," Yuki said, closing her eyes in satisfaction._

ⅩⅩⅤ

Derek's eyes opened as the sunlight pierced the dark skies. His eyes stung, and he was blinded for a few seconds. It took him a while for him to realize that he was being shaken, and rather hard.

"Derek, wake up!"

"What, Damion," he groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "I was having a pretty good dream, too..." '_Well, sort of_.'

The boy pointed a finger at something Derek couldn't see. "That! It's so...weird!"

Derek forced his eyes open a bit wider. He could make out the vague shape of something that looked like a pair of floating magnets, except it was a dull gray color. He realized that it was a Magnemite.

"Is that...a gray Magnemite?" he asked, bewildered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Look, I wrote this in about 6 hours, so no hating! Lol.**

**Well, there's your special Christmas chapter. I can't say for sure I'll be using this exact flashback for Lost Memories, Revamped! (which will be released in its entirety if I can finish it by the anniversary [which is 1/1/2012!]), but if not, it'll just be slightly edited to flow better with the rest of the story.**

**Merry Christmas, guys (and gals)! I hope you all enjoy a festive holiday, some good food, and some nice presents. You know what I want? A USB for my story files and a red jacket just like Derek's! (Plain, red, cloth, and smexy as hell, lmao.)  
><strong>

**Oh, you think I was gonna say reviews? Hah! Yeah right. Way too selfish for that **

**See y'all in the New Year!  
><strong>


	8. Bizarre Colorations

Vaguely, Derek wondered if the Magnemite was covered in ashes or something. He had never seen, nor heard, of a different-colored Pokémon, except for the rare "Shiny" breed. He hadn't devoted himself to remembering the appearances of Shiny Pokémon, so he contemplated the possibility of this Magnemite fitting into that category. But still, the chance of meeting a Shiny Pokémon was extremely low. Research indicated the chance of birth for such a creature was around one in eight thousand—there was no way that he could have found a Shiny Pokémon.

Something about the sight of the Magnemite pissed him off. Not only had he been woken up, but the mystery of its dark coat of metal tantalized him to no end. The electricity arcing from its magnets signaled an incoming attack, but Derek's irritation ignored this fact. He instead glared straight at its eye, channeling all his hatred and frustration at having been woken up from memories he _appreciated _remembering into the one look.

Strangely enough, the Magnemite backed off.

"Here, Derek," Damion said, holding out the two belts Derek had left behind towards him. "You left these in the Gym, so...uh...yeah."

"Thanks," Derek grumbled, taking them from him. He immediately slipped the Poké Ball belt into his belt loops, fastening it quickly. He then took the chained belt, wrapping it around his shirt and tightening it as best he could.

In the dim morning, he noticed he had dropped one of the Poké Balls. Aggravated by the fact he had no idea what it held, he threw it as hard as he could, mumbling a curse with it. Instead of bursting open, though, it slammed the Magnemite straight in the face, getting a shocked gasp from both the Trainers and the Pokémon.

Even before the Magnemite was fully absorbed into the glistening sphere, Derek rushed forward, trying to somehow stop the mechanism. However, by the time he had picked it up, even after lunging towards it, a flash of sparkling light emanated from the Poké Ball, representing a successful capture.

He stared at it, not even sure what had just happened. With a confused look, he turned towards Damion, who stared back with an expression just as bewildered. The two stared at each other for a few moments, not sure what to say or do at that point.

Eventually, Derek turned away, holding the Poké Ball in his hands. He could release the Magnemite, he thought to himself. Curious as to what the Magnemite would say, he tossed the Poké Ball into the air, watching as it burst open with a white light, followed by a flashing display of unfamiliar stars circling the materializing Pokémon.

"Mag...?"

Derek frowned. "Yeah. About that. Would you rather come with me, or be released into the wild? I captured you by accident, and so I don't really think—"

"Mag, Magnemite mag!" it said, shaking its head (body?) in reply. "Mag!"

His frown deepened into a scowl. "I have no idea what you're saying. Drop to the ground if you want to come with me. Fly away if you want to leave. I'll crush the Poké Ball if you do."

There was a moment's hesitation from the Magnemite. Its gray body glistened despite its color, making Derek wonder if it really was its normal shade, not simply ash and dirt. Still, the novelty of viewing—and even capturing!—a Shiny Pokémon was...not an ordinary occurrence. He couldn't be sure if it was a trick, or just some dream of his. However, his ever so slight excitement disappeared when the Pokémon made its move, rushing forward and sending an electric current straight into Derek's body.

"Derek!" Damion exclaimed, rushing forward with his arms outreached.

The attacked boy held up a hand to stop him. Damion slowed, watching in mute worry. "It didn't even hurt," Derek noted calmly, gazing down at the Magnemite rubbing its face (body?) into his shirt. "I would have a girl doing this, but I guess it isn't so bad. It could be worse. I mean, who doesn't love a six kilogram, floating, magnet-like Pokémon that's made out of electromagnetically-enhanced steel shoving its body into their chest while having a current of electricity blasted into their body?"

Damion pouted, falling to the ground and onto his knees, though he was laughing lightly at the joke. "Geez. And I was worried!"

"Your skepticism can wait," Derek replied loftily.

He grasped the Magnemite with his hands, trying to push it away. It fought back, resisting his push as if he were attracting the magnet. The short but difficult battle rose Derek's respect for the little Magnet Pokémon; with such a small body, and no muscles or body strength to speak of, it was quite the strong being, and Derek commended its effort.

"Well, little Magnemite, I suppose that means you're sticking with me?" It took a moment for the irony of that statement to sink in. "Uh, figuratively speaking, I hope."

"Mag!" it responded, letting off another shock of electricity to support its decision.

"Then a name..." Derek mumbled, staring off towards the distance. He watched the sun rise, breaking the night and bringing about morning. "Dawn is quite a beautiful time of day, isn't it Damion? Though I prefer dusk."

"Uh...sure?" Damion said, confused.

"Yeah." Derek frowned ever so lightly. "Dawn...Golden dawn?" He paused, the phrase ringing a bell. It took a few moments to figure out where it had come from. "Zorro; why don't I call you that?"

"Zorro?" Damion asked, leaning closer. The Magnemite glanced up at him. "What's that mean?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a Slavic name, meaning _Golden Dawn_." Derek shrugged. "I might be mistaken."

"Slavic?"

"An ethnic group in Russia."

"Ethnic group? Russia?"

"A group of people with a similar history, background, culture, et cetera. Russia's a country, idiot."

"...Culture?"

Derek sighed in exasperation. "Look, this isn't important right now. How do you feel about the name, little guy?" he asked, turning towards the Magnemite in his hands.

"Mag, Magnemite!"

He frowned. "Is that a yes or a no?"

The Magnemite did a few midair flips, which Derek took as a Magnemite's way of nodding its head (body?).

"Then, Zorro, welcome to the team," he said. He pulled out the Poké Ball. "Now get back inside."

Not waiting to hear anything from his new Pokémon, he returned it immediately, gripping the ball in his hand far more tightly than needed for the pressure switch. He watched as the red light sucked in Zorro before disappearing into the Poké Ball's center button.

A satisfied sigh escaped from his mouth. He let himself fall onto his back, and he closed his eyes, relaxing in the morning light.

"Derek, what're you doing?"

"What'd'you think?" Derek asked, sarcasm coloring his voice. "Sleeping, of course."

"But it's morning! Let's go to Viridian City! Catch some Bug Pokémon! Battle Brock! Get the Boulder Badge!"

"Damion, you're way too—let go of me, damn it," he growled, feeling his arm being tugged by the other boy.

"Oh c'mon!" Damion groaned. "Soran, help me out here!"

"Soran—damn you, Soran!" he cursed as the Eevee sank its fangs into his arm. He jerked himself up into a sitting position, ready to throw her into the distance, but stopped when he saw Damion's amused look. "As soon as this journey is over, I'm killing your ass dead."

Damion grinned. "Not sure what that means, but if we're gonna kill anything, I'd kill for some breakfast!"

"You're way too carefree," Derek sighed, finishing what he had been saying earlier. "Fine. Let's go stop by the Poké Mart and get some supplies. We haven't got a tent, any cooking supplies; hell, we don't even have any provisions."

"I understood up until 'tent,'" Damion said enthusiastically, grinning in his own ignorance. "So, we get some stuff and start our journey for real?"

"I guess," Derek muttered, rubbing where he had been bitten. He returned Soran promptly, glaring at her as she disappeared. He ran a hand through his hair. "I need a shower."

"We all need showers," Damion agreed.

"There are only two of us."

"Still."

Derek scowled. "I'm partners with an idiot."

"Yeah, but this idiot pair is gonna take the Indigo League by storm!"

The boy received a glare for that statement. "Who says I'm an idiot?" He paused. "On second thought, don't answer that. Let's just go."

-.-.-

"So considering we both have three Pokémon, and that we can probably assume we'll capture at least one Pokémon between us in the Viridian Forest, I'd say we should have enough food with us to last until we reach Pewter City, at least," Derek concluded, dusting his hands off as he stood up from the rock he had been sitting on. "Any questions?"

Damion raised his hand. "Me, me!"

"Yes, Mr. Damion?" Derek questioned. He rolled his eyes as the teacher-student role-play. "You have something you wish to ask?"

He grinned, pointing towards the forest with the hand he had raised above his head. "Can we go in now? I wanna meet some new Pokémon!"

"Damion, quality over quantity," Derek remarked simply. "We already have half of a full team, we don't need many more Pokémon."

"But I wanna catch 'em all!" Damion complained.

Another sigh of exasperation escaped from Derek. "Whatever. You can do what you want. But I, on the other hand, don't plan on catching any other Pokémon for quite a whi—Damion, where the hell are you going?" he shouted, watching as the other boy sprinted off down the path towards the entrance of the forest.

"Derek, I think I just saw another weird-colored Pokémon!" he yelled back, not so much as turning around to look at him. "Come quick!"

This time, a growl of frustration. "Damn this kid and all of his damn energy," he snarled to himself. "Fine, Damion. Fine. Let's just see who wins this race in the end after all."

And with that, Derek, too, rushed down the path.

Viridian Forest, known to be a natural maze, definitely lived up to its expectations. Almost immediately upon entering, Derek had difficulty remembering which direction he had come from, as all the trees were blocking his view. The once-bright day seemed to be dimmer in the shade of the forest, which was probably the reason for the vast number of Pokémon he could see crawling around. He stepped away from a few of the Weedle that approached him as he tried to think of a way of finding Damion quickly.

Luckily, his answer came to him when he glanced at the ground. A large number of leaves and grass had grown, and it was easy to see where the adventurous Damion had run. Derek began rushing down the path, watching out for any falling leaves or incoming Pokémon that could mess up the route. He marveled at how fast Damion had gone, making him wonder what he could possibly be chasing as to have escaped from the boy.

"Get back here!" Derek could hear in the distance—obviously Damion. "Solar, Vine Whip!"

"Damn it Damion, think before acting!" Derek swore, dashing past trees and bushes, jumping over hedges, and stepping past the small Bug Pokémon. "You're going to attract the territorial Pokémon if you start a fight, idiot. Beedrill are common in the forest!"

In the distance, past a few trees, he could see a clearing. He was panting from the effort of running so far so quickly, but a relief overtook him when he saw Damion, shouting out what seemed to be commands. Rushing towards him, Derek stepped into the clearing—

Only to be smacked square in the face by _something_.

"The _fu—_" he growled, tearing off what had latched onto his face. He jumped when he saw it was something pink, rather slimy, and quite long. With a sigh of disgust, he threw it to the ground, noting then it was a pink Caterpie.

Pink, slimy, and long? He would never get that mental image out of his head.

"What's with all the bizarre Pokémon today?" he mumbled to himself, casting a glance towards Damion. He watched as the boy rushed towards him, followed by Solar, the Bulbasaur. "Damion, is this the weird Pokémon?"

He nodded, grinning. "And I'ma catch it. Go, Poké Ball!"

"Wait a sec, Damion, let me get out—" Derek began, barely managing to sidestep the Poké Ball as it soared past him. It bumped into the chain belt fastened around his stomach as he did so, knocking one of the attached Poké Balls off. The two boys watched in shock as it fell straight onto the pink Caterpie. But even more shocking was the lack of resistance.

The Poké Ball sparkled with its successful capture.

Derek stared down at the Poké Ball laying there on the ground. He then turned his gaze to the Poké Ball that had knocked into his belt that Damion had thrown, noticing a sticker in the shape of the Rising Badge of the Blackthorn Gym stuck to it. He picked it up, tossing it to its owner, who caught it in surprise. He then picked up his own Poké Ball, staring down at it with a sour frown.

"I've got two of these now," he grumbled.

"You've got two of them now," Damion agreed, sounding somewhere between puzzled and amazed as he returned his Bulbasaur to its Poké Ball with a quick "Thanks!" "What is this, a streak?"

"Well, once a streak's broken, it's nearly impossible to start over again," Derek remarked calmly, gripping the Poké Ball tightly. He flicked it into the air, watching it pop open. The pink Caterpie materialized on his shoulder. "So, Damion, why is it that we keep meeting these weirdly colored Pokémon? And how was this thing flying through the air?"

As if in response to being called both "weird" and "this thing," he promptly received a Tackle to the head from the pink Caterpie. A soft growl-like noise came from it, though Derek couldn't even tell if it had a mouth.

"Right, right, little Bug Pokémon. Let Daddy talk with Mommy for now."

"Are we still role-playing?" Damion asked curiously. "Because I don't mind that."

"Damion."

"Yes?"

"Go die in a fire."

A grin spread onto the boy's face. "You're as funny as ever." The grin changed to an expression of amused bewilderment in a few moments. "But really, I guess it's fate?" A laugh escaped from the boy. "And the thing about flying...well, let's just say this little girl's got a heck of a knack for String Shot."

"Girl?" Derek echoed, glancing at the Caterpie on his shoulder through the corner of his eye. "You can tell?"

"Isn't it pink because it's a girl?" Damion asked.

Derek stared at him. Damion had said it so calmly, and with such conviction, it was as if he actually believed that anything pink was a girl. "...Check your Pokédex, why don't you?"

"Uh? Sure."

As the other boy searched through his pockets for his Pokédex, Derek gently took the Caterpie from his shoulder into his hands. He watched it with a quiet curiosity, and the Caterpie stared back with a similar expression—or, at least, that's what he guessed. It was hard to tell a Pokémon's emotions, compared to Damion. Plus, the fact she was squirming in his hand like a frightened Rattata wasn't making it any easier to tell whether she was curious about him or irritated about having been captured.

"Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon," sounded the electronic voice of the Pokédex _Dexter_. "Caterpie uses the suction cups on its feet to climb trees and feed on its favorite leaves."

"According to this data...Tackle and String Shot are the attacks she knows," Damion confirmed, showing Derek the stat screen.

He studied it for a few moments, taking it from Damion with his free hand. His eyes lingered a moment longer on the specific statistics of the Pokémon's physical capabilities than anything else. A glance at the top right of the glossy screen showed proof that the Caterpie was a girl. He handed the Pokédex back to its owner after a few moments.

"So you're a fighter, eh?" Derek noted casually, gazing at the Caterpie. In response, he received a String Shot to the face—which, surprisingly, hurt like _hell_. "Stubborn little..."

"I don't think stubborn is the right word," Damion remarked, leaning forward to take a closer look. "More like...proud?"

"No, she's stubborn all right. She's been squirming in my hand for the last two minutes," Derek answered, glaring down at her. "I'll name you Kutsune, stubborn short-legs."

"Is that what that really means?" Damion asked curiously.

"Kutsune?" Derek questioned, ignoring the String Shot gathering on the side of his face as he was sprayed by his newest Pokémon. "I'm not sure how Japanese works, but I doubt it."

"Not sure how Japanese works, huh?"

Derek nodded, tearing some of the threads sticking his face to Kutsune's. "Oi. I don't mind you Tackling me, but this String Shot is pretty nasty." He pulled out the Poké Ball, scowling at Kutsune. "Return."

Damion's eyes glimmered in the sparkling light of the disappearance of the pink Caterpie. He grinned. "Don't you think it's a bit strange, how we met two weirdly colored Pokémon in one day?"

"I don't think the pinkness is due to her being Shiny," Derek replied. "There are Berries that can cause a chemical reaction within a Pokémon, and when the nutrients of the Berry are distributed to the cells of the body, the skin can produce a color which resembles that of the Berry. The Pinkan Berry."

Damion blinked. "I didn't understand any of that."

Derek ignored him, continuing with his explanation. "Of course, there might be something strange about the genetic makeup of Kutsune. Normally, the side-effects of the Pinkan Berry would disappear over time if not further consumed. But this Caterpie's still pink, even though we're in a different _region _from the Pinkan Berries."

"What the heck is a Pinkan Berry?" Damion asked.

Derek glanced at him. "A Berry that makes you pink. Can't you tell from the name?" He paused, and shrugged in understanding. "Though, since the island is off-limits, and nobody's supposed to know about its existence, I guess I can't blame you for not knowing."

"How do you know, then?"

A frown found its way onto his face. "My siblings told me when I was younger. Now c'mon Damion, if we want to make it through Viridian Forest before a week goes by, we have to get moving now."

"Sure." Damion hesitated. "But first, can we get that stuff off you? It looks sorta...gross."

He sighed. "Right. Forgot about this crap on my face."

Another sick mental image was all he needed to slap a hand to his face in exasperation. He had had enough exasperation for one day, hadn't he?

The sound of droning wings told him they hadn't.

"This is why you don't battle in the clearings. Or battle...at all," Derek growled at Damion, casting him one of the darkest looks he could. "Now we have to fight an army of Beedrill!"

Damion opened his mouth to respond, but seemed to find he had nothing to say. Instead, he closed his mouth, nodding in silent remorse.

Somehow, the action irritated Derek more than anything. He grasped Damion's wrist, dragging him along as he began to run. "We might as well get out of the way. If we can find shelter, like a particularly thick part of the forest, we might be able to avoid detection."

Damion nodded, grinning. "You're the boss!"

A scowl found its way onto Derek's face. '_Boss? Please. If I were truly the boss, we would have never gotten into this situation_,' he thought to himself bitterly as he led them into the shadowed areas of the forest. '_But I'll prove this time that I can do it. I'm a Trainer, so I _will _solve this_!'

Easier said than done.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - So, first chapter of the New Year, eh? Not bad at all, if you ask me. Let's see if I can keep up weekly updates...though with me doing both this and Lost Memories, Revamped!, one of them is bound to show signs of degrading effort.**

**Recently, I've noticed I'm starting to use larger vocabulary, and apparently, I'm becoming a smart aleck. IT ANNOYS ME. Just because I write stories, they seem to think that I'm trying to prove that I'm smart. I'M NOT! It seems to have become a part of my lifestyle after reading so much advanced fanfiction that the vocabulary starting sinking in. (And they only look big. The words themselves are very simple.)**

**By the way, if you think I'm rushing through the captures too fast, we won't be catching any more until Cerulean, so don't get your Ponyta in a bunch! (Is that how the saying goes? Horses in a bunch? I don't even know anymore.) And if you feel that Derek's too Gary Stu-ish for catching two unique Pokemon...did any of you actually watch the anime?**

**...Kutsune. T_T  
><strong>

**Enough ranting, though. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And for those of you who haven't done so yet, be sure to check out Lost Memories, Revamped! (Link is, of course, on my author's page, =D)**


	9. Matthew Summers

"A-a-a-a!"

"Shut the _hell _up!" Derek snapped, turning his head to cover the boy's mouth—only to find himself face-to-face with a sword.

After a moment of silent shock, Derek gazed down at the sword in front of him. Noticing something strange about the blade, he pulled at it with his hand, finding it bendy, like a foil blade for fencing. Pressing a finger lightly against the edge of the blade, he found it to be as harmless as plastic, making him sigh in exasperation.

He turned his eyes toward the boy wielding the "sword," changing the look he gave from an innocent gaze to a dark glare. "Oi. We're kind of busy trying to _not _get killed by Beedrill. So mind buzzing off?"

The sword-boy returned the dark look, but noticeable shrank under Derek's leering expression. He was wearing a samurai outfit, complete with head, armor, and sheath for his blade. He had a bug-catching net slung over his back. "Y-you fool! Only a bad Trainer would provoke the Beedrill of the forest! Therefore, I challenge you to a battle!"

Derek cast Damion a glance, who shrugged in confusion. Giving up, Derek instead gave the samurai another glare. He grasped the "sword" with his gloved hand, tugging it hard enough that the samurai was forced to let go. Derek twirled it his hand, grasping the handle before stabbing it into the fresh dirt. "Kid, look."

"I am no kid!" He glared up at Derek. "I am Samurai, warrior of the Viridian Forest!"

"Shut up."

"No! I will not listen to a weak Trainer such as yourself!" he protested, waving his arms wildly.

Derek gave him the darkest look he could. "Shut. Up."

"Yes sir." The boy blinked, as if puzzled by his own reaction. "Wait..."

"Samurai, you say? I'm Derek. This here is Damion. We're Trainers from Pallet Town. If you're a Pokémon Trainer, we're obligated to battle, but..." Derek faked a smirk to intimidate the boy. He listened carefully to the droning wings of the Beedrill to make sure they were still a safe distance away from the swarm. "Well, I suppose we could finish you off in five minutes."

"F-five minutes!" Damion and Samurai both exclaimed.

Derek shrugged. "You're probably right. Two minutes is much more reasonable. Only a fool calls another Trainer a fool before testing their strength in battle."

"Well said!" Samurai exclaimed, a confident grin forming on his face. "Let us commence battle in the fashion of this here modern world!"

"Lay back on the samurai talk and toughen up. No matter how much you want to live up to your name, it doesn't mean anything if it's impossible," Derek said bitterly. He grasped Flare's Poké Ball from his belt, his grip tightening on the small ball. "I learned that a long time ago. So I hope you do, too."

Damion cast Derek a glance before nodding. "I'll take second, then?"

Samurai nodded as well. "Okay! Pinsir, assume battle mode!"

"Flare, let's show him what it means to be a Trainer," Derek snarled, also tossing his Poké Ball.

The two Pokémon burst from their containers in a flash of white light. Upon exit, Flare immediately took the initiative, taking the opportunity of momentary confusion to use a devastating Flame Slash against the Bug Pokémon, leaving a black gash in its side.

Derek glanced at Damion, who was listening to the explanation on the Pokémon from his Pokédex. It said: "Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents."

"Put the squeeze on its opponents?" Damion echoed. "Derek, watch out for that—"

"I know, I know!" Derek answered. He was slightly flustered from the the speed at which the battle had started, and couldn't even get out a command before Flare began attacking once again. He watched with mild surprise as his Charmander blasted Pinsir backwards with hungry flames. The Bug Pokémon retreated slowly, obviously afraid of the heat, and soon fell to the ground from weakness and injury. Samurai returned it quickly, looking afraid to continue.

Derek returned Flare to his Poké Ball meekly, then turned towards Damion with a bemused shrug. "No idea what happened, but you're up."

"Grr...Wait a moment!" Samurai shouted. "Pinsir can still fight! Do not retreat, novice!"

Derek glared at him once again. "Even if I didn't do anything, you still returned your Pinsir—that's a forfeit. You lost, so if you want to prove your Pinsir can still fight, just battle Damion."

Damion looked up at him, holding his hand out in a high-five. Derek ignored the hand, instead patting him on the shoulder. Damion grinned, saying, "You never seem to do what I offer, huh?"

"Handshakes and high-fives are lame," Derek answered calmly. "Go win. And use Solar."

Damion raised an eyebrow before breaking into a smile. "Is this to show our Pallet Town pride?"

"Something like that."

"Then I'll win with honor!"

Derek nodded. He paused for a moment, then managed to say, "That's good. I'll be right back, all right?"

"Washroom?"

"Is that the only thing that comes to mind when I say business?" Derek snapped, casting a glare towards Damion. He turned away, irritation replacing the disappointment he had been feeling from not even participating in the battle. The return of the droning sounds brought a sudden thought flashing into his head."No, I wanted to make sure we don't get attacked by those Beedrill."

"I'll finish in five minutes," Damion promised, turning back towards Samurai. "So come back soon, 'kay?"

"Considering it's you, I don't doubt it," Derek mumbled under his breath, too quietly for either of the other two to hear. "Good luck," he said in a louder voice. "To both of you."

"Only a novice relies on—"

"Then you're obviously a novice," Derek remarked calmly. He waved a hand to those behind him. "See y'all."

Slowly, he trudged down the path into the forest, towards the flying Beedrill. He could hear the sounds of battle behind him in the clearing as he stepped between towering trees and tall grass. More than once he found himself trapped in the web of what he assumed to be an Ariados (which was surprising, due to that specific species being native in Johto).

It was only five minutes later that he found his target. At least twenty Beedrill were swarming around the area in a flurry, wings sounding their approach. The Poison Bee Pokémon resembled wasps, with four legs each, round heads, and pointed mouths. Antennae stuck out from the tops of their heads in the shape of sevens, shadowing the red eyes of the creatures. Four rounded wings, each white and veined with black marks, blurred on their backs, causing the droning sound that was starting to hurt Derek's head. The species appeared to be bipedal, as the Beedrill landed and stood on two back legs (hind legs?), while the top legs (fore legs?) were equipped with long, cone-shaped stingers, with a tip as sharp as a spear.

Derek swallowed, hiding behind the bushes and trees. No wonder why they had named the weapon "spear" after the Japanese breed of these species.

With a shaky hand, Derek pulled the Poké Ball containing Zorro from his belt. He was careful to keep it out of the light and behind the tree trunks, so as to not let the the light reflect and attract the Beedrill. It was like playing a game of hide-and-seek—only much less fun, and much more horrifying. He swallowed, his grip tightening on the Poké Ball. He pulled his arm back, ready to throw and start his distraction plan—when the sound of footsteps made him stop.

"Stand back," he heard somebody say. Before Derek could turn, he felt a light pull on his right shoulder, dragging him further back into the woods and out of the way. He caught a glimpse of midnight-colored hair and what looked to be a shining black stud-type earring on the man's left ear before he walked completely out of the tree's cover.

"Wait, if you do that," Derek began, but the man gave a weary wave of his left hand to silence him.

Derek studied the man carefully. He was quite tall, but not as tall as Derek had first thought him to be; he was only a few inches taller than Derek. His black hair was quite long; not long enough to reach his shoulders, but still a decent length. He seemed to favor the color black, shown by his choice of attire: a long-sleeved black jacket with a hard-set collar which encircled his neck, with a length that flared like a cloak and reached down to the knees of his dark blue jeans. The only clothing he was wearing that wasn't dark was his shirt, which was a metallic gray of an oddly stiff-looking material. Every motion was followed by a clinking sound, leading Derek to believe the man was carrying some sort of chain, as it was a similar sound made by Derek's belt.

The comparison brought Derek's attention towards the man's waist. His shirt was rather long, and the jacket covered his sides, making it difficult to spot his belt. Still, Derek caught the glint of metal—and from the shapes under the man's shirt, he guessed at six: a complete team.

His guess was confirmed when the man pushed his clothing back, whipping a Poké Ball from his belt so quickly Derek barely caught the motion. His eyes swept from the revealed belt, showing the two Poké Balls left in their holds, to the man's face. Derek blinked, noticing that the person wasn't a man at all, but a boy, looking only a bit older than himself.

"Azul," he said, his voice calm yet firm. It was a voice extremely similar to someone Derek remembered, yet he couldn't remember who; it was a distant memory, but something he felt was something that he held dear.

He watched as the mysterious black-haired boy tossed the Poké Ball in his hand, attracting the attention of the swarm of Beedrill at last. There was a sudden increase in the sound of drones as the living spears flashed towards them, looking like a volley of giant Pin Missile attacks. It took a moment to realize they _were _giant Pin Missile attacks; the Beedrill had shot their conical stingers. They shot forward faster than bullets, straight towards the boy—and Derek, as well.

The flash of white faded, but Derek didn't even try to see the Pokémon released. He felt a shove against his chest, pushing him to the ground with a painful _thud_. He skidded a few feet when panic of the incoming attacks overtook him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain.

After five whole seconds of nothing, he opened his eyes.

"It's all right, you know," the boy said, turning towards Derek at last. The young Trainer nearly jumped at the sight of his expression: it was such a kind, friendlyface, that Derek felt the tension inside him fall. The boy's black eyes, or what could be seen underneath and between his long bangs, seemed to glow with a benign curiosity. "Is something wrong?" he asked, holding out a hand.

Derek took it tentatively, swallowing hard. "N-nothing," he managed, pulling himself up.

The older boy smiled again. "That's fine, then." He cast a sideways glance towards the clearing the Beedrill had been.

Derek followed his gaze, amazed to see the swarm of Beedrill already unconscious and on the ground, smoking as if they had just been burnt from an attack. The surprise he felt distracted him long enough that he didn't notice the older Trainer return his Pokémon, losing Derek's chance to find what it was.

"The name's Matthew." He gave Derek an appraising look. "Judging from your attire and your expression...a newbie?"

Derek felt his lips pull into a frown, though he was still too amazed and shocked to speak.

"Well, that's fine. What's your name?"

"D-Derek."

For the slightest of moments, Derek could see Matthew's eyes noticeably widen. His black eyes met Derek's red with such an intense look that Derek was forced to break eye contact. He stumbled backwards, nearly falling over again, though Matthew caught him by the wrist.

Derek steadied himself. "Thanks," he said quietly. "Are you Matthew...Matthew Summers? The one Chris was worried about?"

"It's not a problem." Matthew slipped the Poké Ball in his hand back to his belt before pulling his shirt over his belt again. "I guess the Meowth's outta the bag, now, so there's no point in hiding these." The slightest of scowls seemed to find its way onto Matthew's face. "So you know Lightwood?"

"I...suppose," Derek said.

"Hm. With your luck, I bet you're going to be meeting Andrea, next. Unless you've met her already?"

Derek shook his head. "No. At least, I don't think so."

"Don't think?" He laughed, with a nice, casual sounding tone. It was the tone Derek would expect from one you would call a friend. "I see. You're interesting, aren't you?"

Somehow, the words seemed extremely familiar, as if he had heard them before just recently, but Derek suppressed the thought. He rolled a few answers around on his tongue before simple saying, "I guess."

Matthew smiled again. "I'm only older by two years, but really, you do seem so much younger than me. Derek, huh? I wonder how much you'll grow in one year, just like I did."

The boy gazed up at Matthew with a look of puzzlement. "Is being a Trainer that rough?"

Matthew shook his head. "Rougher. Not everyone's cut out for it, after all." He sighed, shaking his head lightly, getting the hair out of his eyes as well. "I'd love to chat, but I'm not here for fun."

"Why Viridian Forest?"

"It's not much of a reason. I simply wanted to see if I could find one of those exceptionally rare Pikachu that are so sought after here in this forest." He put a hand on Derek's head, ruffling his hair lightly in another action that brought back more vague, unclear memories. "You're a good Trainer. Just try and find a better match for yourself; don't try and fight Pokémon like those just yet. And don't hold back to fight with your best effort, if you ever have to." He motioned towards the fallen Beedrill with a casual wave. "You're welcome to capture one, if you want."

Derek shrugged, not wanting to give a definite answer at that moment. He couldn't think, as his head was swimming with thoughts he couldn't comprehend, with memories he couldn't remember. Still, something about the story about catching a Pikachu sounded off...as if he were hiding something. Derek knew the Safari Zone would be a far more efficient place to find Pikachu.

No point in doubting such a nice person, though. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then...good bye?"

Matthew nodded. He held out a hand, smiling one more time. Derek noticed just how..._cool _he looked, smirking with a look in his eyes that seemed able to perceive the world in a different way than others. "I can hear your friend coming; don't tell anyone I met you. It would trouble me if your friend somehow let Chris know I'm planning on capturing a Pikachu. I can trust you with that info, yeah?"

Derek nodded. "You can," he said, slowly reaching for Matthew's outstretched hand. They shook, though Derek felt something in his hand when they released their grip with each other.

When they pulled away, Derek glanced down at his hand, noticing he was holding a plain, dull bronze-colored ring. He cast a confused look towards Matthew, who had already turned around. The older boy said with a cheery tone, "Right hand, Derek. You don't have to wear it, though." He waved his hand towards the boy behind him. "See ya."

Tongue-tied, Derek could only watch as the elite Trainer walked away, the shadows of the trees beyond enveloping him in darkness. He faded from view, like a specter in the night, ephemeral yet always there, present yet never real. It was like trying to see a shadow in a shadow, Derek realized, as the older Trainer seemed to fade into the dark.

After a few moments, he turned back towards the ring in his hand. He could see engravings in the metal, probably reflecting how old the ring looked. It was probably an ancient relic, and definitely not something he should wear—just in case people asked about it. With a deft movement, he slipped it into his pants pocket, not in the mood to bother with it.

He turned as he heard the rustle of leaves at his side. He blinked in surprise when he saw both Damion and Samurai, panting and wheezing, looking as if they had each run a mile. Before he could ask, he received a shout, making him wince.

"Where _were _you!" Damion shouted, taking a step forward towards him.

On the other hand, Derek backed off, walking backwards. "I was here the whole time," he muttered.

"We thought the Beedrill had gotten to you, novice! Do not underestimate the creatures of this forest, or it will be the end of you!" Samurai warned.

"Who asked you?" Derek snapped, scowling. He turned towards Damion. "Why were you so desperate to find me, anyway?"

"Well, you know you told me it would take two weeks or so to make it to Pewter City?"

"Yeah. That's the normal time it takes, following the natural path that _you _made us lose."

"But it gets better!" Damion grinned, apparently having caught his breath already. He threw an arm around Samurai's neck, making the boy cough. "Samurai says he knows a way out—in _ten_ _days_!"

Derek opened his mouth to speak, yet found nothing insulting to say. Instead, he said, "Um...please and thank you?"

Samurai struggled to escape from Damion's grasp, wiggling like Kutsune. A moment later, he gave up, apparently too tired to continue. "W-well, if you insist, I guess I have no choice but...but to show you," he said between pants.

"Let go of him already, Damion."

"Huh?" Damion glanced down at the gasping boy in his arm, and apparently was surprised to see him there. He let go immediately, jumping away. "Oh, uh, sorry 'bout that! Didn't notice I was...uh...sorry."

"Truly, you two are such novices!" Samurai griped, scowling. He promptly turned around, walking briskly back the way they had all come.

"Where are you going?" Damion asked, following with a slow jog.

"To the path, the path! Hurry up and follow if you want to leave!"

"O-oh! Derek, you better hurry too!"

"Sure, sure," Derek answered halfheartedly, not listening. He had turned away from the other two, and back towards where the fallen Beedrill were. He walked towards them slowly, kneeling next to one. A few moments of waiting notified him that they were definitely alive, and only unconscious.

He hesitated for a second. His hand almost reached for his chain belt, ready to take one of the two remaining empty Poké Balls from it and capture the Beedrill before him, but he stopped himself. Something was completely wrong about doing it. It just felt wrong to do it.

"Damn it Yuki," he whispered to himself, pushing himself up. He gazed down at the Beedrill for a moment longer, then turned away. "I guess you affected me with your whole 'morals' speech, after all."

He glanced back towards the trees, ready to go back to Damion and Samurai. It was then that he remembered: how had Matthew stopped the Pin Missile attacks, anyway? He hadn't noticed until then, since he had been so distracted, but now that he thought about it, the Beedrill had already grown their stingers back.

Derek nearly gasped when he looked at the ground. What looked to be powder was spread amongst the grass and dirt near where Matthew had been standing, in an almost perfectly semi-circle. Judging from the white coloring, and the texture when he touched it, he knew in an instant what it was: powdered Beedrill stingers. He scooped some of it with a hand, staring down at it with a mix of horror and awe.

'_This is what Chris had been talking about, huh? No wonder he told me not to battle him. I would've been destroyed with ease._' He swallowed hard. '_One soundless attack, enough to disintegrate this kind of composition..._'

He gathered as much of the powder as he could and collected it into a plastic bag he found in his bag, knowing that it wasn't something to just leave behind. In the corner of his mind, while he was walking down the path towards Damion and Samurai, something told him that this wasn't the last time he'd be seeing Matthew.

And for one unexplainable moment, he could have sworn he felt the ring in his pocket heat up against his leg.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - So who wants to bet we get a Derek vs Matthew battle later? Because if you do wanna bet they do, you are...**

**Who knows? ****I don't. I haven't planned that far in depth yet.**

**Anyway, this is my return chapter, so welcome me back from the exams everyone! Woot woot! Good to be back, especially when you actually have reserve chapters for once! Yep, 8 and 9 (or on this site, 10 and 11) are already done as well, so for the first time in my life, I'm actually ahead in writing my series. Cool, huh?**


	10. Igniting the Hatred

"So this is Pewter City...?"

Derek nodded towards Damion, then gazed down from the hill they were standing on towards the gloomy city. It definitely showed its great respect for Rock Pokémon, since everything in sight was made of rocks. From the gate to the very merchandise that stood next to them, everything seemed to be made of stone. He knelt by one of the rocks and checked the price, then backed away at the sight of multiple zeroes. A rock should only have _one _zero and nothing else.

"It's a rock," he said plainly, staring at it.

"It's a rock," Damion agreed, turning his head to look at the stone. "Ho—is that really a price?"

Derek pulled out his wallet, letting out a sigh after checking the contents. He glared down at the rock, completely baffled at how this _rock _was worth more than his entire savings, before twirling on heel back towards the city. "Whatever. Let's go. We have a Gym Battle to win."

"Hey, think we'll see Samurai again?" Damion asked, as they walked down the road. Derek saw him glance back towards Viridian Forest. "I mean, he seemed all right."

He gave no answer, simply shrugging his shoulders. He was more concerned about time management than seeing that pesky kid again. One glance at the sky told him that the sun was at its peak in the sky, signaling noon. They had approximately eight hours to get last minute training in, rest up at the Pokémon Center, get a quick heal, and then get to the Gym before the busy time at the Pokémon Center began and all the rooms were taken.

Feeling something under his shoe, he glanced down, and noticed the stones coloring the dirt path gray and white. He picked one up casually, bouncing it in his hand—and then slipped over the others, falling straight forward like a complete idiot. An arm slid around his chest and grabbed his shoulder, catching him into a firm grip. He opened his mouth to thank Damion, and then realized that there was no way Damion would have been _able _to catch him in that way, since Derek had been walking behind him.

He looked up and nearly leapt out of his skin when he saw the face staring back at him. "B-B-Brock?" he questioned, straightening up and tearing himself out of the man's hold.

The man shook his head. "Not Brock—Flint. You looked interested in my wares, so I came to check ya out."

Derek studied the man's rough face, though all he could see was a tan underneath the bushy brown beard and red hat he was wearing. The hat even shadowed his eyes, which was rather creepy. Plus, the beard looked awfully and unrealistically pointy, like a bristly bush. Clearing his throat, he said nervously, "Y-you sell rocks...for a living?"

"I s'pose you could say that. Want to buy one?"

"I'd rather..." Derek began, though stopped himself. "I'd like to, but I really don't have the money for one."

"I could give it to you at a discount price," Flint offered, his voice gruff with what seemed to be a salesman tone. He turned his head towards Damion. "What about you, kid?"

"Sir, I'd really like one!" Damion exclaimed brightly, grinning. "But we're new Trainers, so we don't really have that kind of money..."

"Trainers? Bah!" The man began laughing, and as he did so, his beard barely seemed to move. Derek was beginning to doubt the realism of that beard, but he put the thought aside as the man's lips pulled into an amused smile. "Don't tell me you plan on taking on Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader?"

"Yep!" The young boy grinned, green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Is there a problem with that?"

"You two...how long have you been on your journey."

They glanced at each other. "Two weeks," Derek said simply.

"Can you cook food?"

"Berries," he countered.

"Can you make a fire?"

"I have a Charmander and Magnemite, both of which can do the job."

"Can you pitch a tent?"

Damion answered this one. "'Course! Though, it takes a half hour..."

"One more question. Can you battle?"

The most confident yet sly of smiles appeared on Damion's face. "Of course!"

Not wanting to be considered overconfident, Derek shrugged. "We could try," he supplied. After all, he didn't really think they could win against a Gym Leader in just two weeks of training, either.

"You, bright kid. What's your name?"

Derek nudged Damion, who blinked. "Me? Damion, from Pallet Town. I'm gonna be the best there is, and ain't no one gonna stop me!"

Flint nodded towards Derek. "And you?"

"Derek." He frowned, then added, "Also from Pallet Town."

"I like you. You can probably win." Flint jerked his head towards Damion. "But him? Watch out for him, Derek. His confidence is ill-matched with his skills. You look reliable; you can fight your battles and win like a man should. Him? He looks like a lonely Growlithe."

"Hey!" Damion exclaimed, straightening up indignantly.

Derek shrugged. _You can't help but be spot-on, Flint._ "I'll try. But he's...probably the better Trainer between us. He's a lot more than what meets the eye."

Flint's lips twitched as if he were holding back a smile. "Kid, the more you try, the better you get. Keep that attitude of yours, and you'll never get stronger. But don't get overconfident." He cast a meaningful look towards Damion, who scowled and looked away, as if embarrassed.

Derek nodded, averting his eyes and instead watching the ground. "Thank you for the advice." _Even if I already know that..._ "Please excuse us."

He turned his back towards the other two, careful to watch his step as he trudged down towards the center of the city. Footsteps behind him indicated Damion following, and he heard the faint grumbles of "good bye" and "good luck."

"And Derek."

He turned, gazing at Flint curiously.

"The sooner you show your true self, the better it'll be for your future. Live up to your heritage and family."

Derek faked a smile, not understanding what he meant. "Same goes to you, Flint. The beard isn't as realistic as you seem to think."

And with that, he promptly continued walking and entered the true city.

-.-.-

First came the hunt for supplies. They had to completely restock their medicine supplies, as the amount of Antidotes and Potions they had bought had proved to be insufficient for the numerous Bug Pokémon in the Viridian Forest. Derek had never known just how much a Poison Sting hurt until he got one in his stomach; it had taken hours for the poison and pain to fade away, even after drinking the disgusting Antidote.

Second came training. In the end, though, nothing came out of the rushed effort other than a few scrapes and bruises on each end. Besides, it wasn't doing anything to help Derek get the "feel of battle," as Damion put it, nor was it helping Damion see the "weak points in the enemy."

Third came the healing at the Pokémon Center. Surprisingly, there weren't many people around, except one or two older-looking Trainers; it was probably due to it still being two months before the Gym circuit year officially started.

Fourth, they took the opportunity to officially sign-up for the Pokémon League, though it took a while to get their Trainer Cards and Pokédexes analyzed for authentication. Damion's constant exclamations on what he wanted to do on their journey didn't help, either.

And fifth...

"So...do we knock?"

They had walked past the path decorated with stones and through the gate of wood. It was made up of two straight and parallel beams of wood that were connected to each other by another shaft that grew into a triangle and stood behind them, welcoming all to the Gym. The building itself was nothing to be amazed by: a giant, roughly rectangular rock with "Pewter Gym" written in the top left corner, with wooden doors (made of the same material as the gate) in the center of the wall.

Though he still wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to battle, Derek said simply, "Maybe just push the doors?"

Damion swallowed loudly. "D-do I have to?"

"Do I look like I want to?" Derek snapped. When he received no answer from the shaken boy next to him, he sighed and said, "Fine, I'll do it." Bracing himself for the worst, he pushed against the wooden doors.

Light from outside poured into the Gym, yet all they could see were shadows. Their shadows showed up especially well, long and lanky. Nervously, they stepped in, noticing the stone walls. Along the sides were platforms jutting out of the wall several meters into the air, surrounded with railings. Derek could barely see, but he guessed that the balconies were for spectators—not that anyone would be able to get up there normally.

The stone floor echoed, causing their footsteps to reverberate through the room over and over. If not for the open doors, Derek guessed that they would have continued forever, but eventually the sound faded. Every breath he took caused a hundred whispers, every look he took sent down his spine a thousand chills, and every step he took only brought him ten thousand times the anxiety of battle.

He swallowed down his fear, and with a glance towards Damion shouted, "Brock! If you're there, we challenge you!"

The yell sounded back to him multiple times, making him flush with embarrassment and surprise. Still, it seemed to have an effect on Brock, who appeared suddenly as a spotlight shone on him. He sat on a rock that rested upon a raised platform with stairs leading down to the Gym's floor. Even more stones decorated the platform around Brock. His legs were crossed in a meditation-like position, and he turned towards them with closed eyes, almost as if he were in a trance.

"You seem awfully impatient," he said, his voice calm and warm. The light cast shadows across his face, darkening the tan of his skin, and making his spiky brown hair look black. He slowly stood up, causing the green vest over his orange-brown shirt to ruffle with the motion. "Do you plan on challenging me? Both of you?"

Unable to look him in the eye for some reason, Derek instead stared down at the Gym Leader's brown pants. "Something like that," he mumbled.

"Of course!" Damion exclaimed.

"Is this your first Gym Battle?" the man asked simply.

Both of the Trainers nodded.

"You should know that this is a battle legalized by the Pokémon League. There are special rules you have to abide by; this is no ordinary Trainer battle." He stared down at them, making Derek realize that Brock's eyes actually _were _open; they were just too small to notice. He would have found this amusing if he weren't so absolutely terrified. "Are you still willing to battle?"

"Of..."

"Of course!" Damion cut in, his voice loud and bright with eagerness.

Brock nodded slowly, almost gravely. "As Gym Leader, I must accept every challenge. I must say, then: Prepare yourselves."

As if on cue, the doors behind them shut, shutting out all light except for Brock's personal one. The sound of rattling steel turned Derek's attention to the walls, which apparently had open up. Out from them came a rocky field—the _real _Gym field. It was rushing towards them at an alarming rate, and without hesitation, Derek grabbed Damion's arm and began running for it. They barely managed to jump out of the way as the fake stone grounds collided and clanged, ending their motion abruptly. The two young Trainers skidded on the polished stone, nearly crashing into the walls and doors. Lights flickered on, casting the battleground into the light, and showing the two boys to each other. Damion smiled meekly at his own pathetic state, while Derek simple scowled.

Brock, stepping down from his pedestal, stood on the opposite side of the field, not even reacting to the light behind him shutting off. Derek, on the other hand, flinched with surprise. "Are you ready?"

Damion had taken off his backpack, gotten to his feet, dusted himself off, and rushed forward before Derek could so look up at Brock. Bursting with energy, the sparky kid called out, "I am! I definitely am, Mr. Brock!"

Brock pointed an enlarged Poké Ball towards him. "Then let me explain the rules. This will be a one-on-one single battle match. If you can defeat me, or prove that you are worthy of continuing as a Trainer, I will give you the Boulder Badge. After this battle, your friend—" He motioned towards Derek. "—will battle me next. Do you accept these terms?"

Derek could only see the back of Damion's figure, but he knew the boy was grinning. He heard a confident, "Of course!" and saw the boy reach for a Poké Ball.

"Then let the match begin!"

Not bothering to focus on the match, Derek groaned and stood up, rubbing the sore and battered parts of his body. He wasn't sure he could take much more punishment from the journey, and there wasn't any point if he didn't even have the courage to battle. He stumbled for the wall and leaned against it with relief, the cold stone soothing against the aching bruises.

He turned his gaze towards Damion's battle, not really paying attention. He watched as Swift blasted away Brock's Geodude with a quick Water Gun before the Rock Pokémon rushed forward with a Rollout. It was with surprise when he saw Damion cleverly use the Pokémon's own momentum against itself, sending the Geodude skidding out of the battlefield with Mud Sport that coated the field, removing any holds the Geodude might have found in the field when it was rock. He recognized the tactic; he had experienced it firsthand just a while ago, when he had battled against Damion with Flare. It was a bit different, and yet the exact same.

Something told him what he needed to do to beat Brock, but the thought disappeared in a moment. He blinked; it had only been for a split second, but it had been so clear to him. He saw an obvious flaw in the way Brock was battling, but he couldn't remember what it was. He swore under his breath, annoyed at how he had just lost his free victory.

He glanced up at the sound of Brock's shout. "The match is over. I've lost."

Derek blinked as he heard Damion's ecstatic shouts. It didn't make any sense, how Brock could have lost so easily. Even he was holding back because they were rookies, there was no way Brock would become a Gym Leader if he were so weak.

The two Trainers met in the middle of the stage. Derek watched as Brock placed something into Damion's hand, who raised it to the ceiling in an elated stance. Amused, Derek, too, stepped forward. His hand slipped into his pocket, his fingers clenching around the ring Matthew had given him.

"What is your name, rookie?"

"Damion." He grinned. "Thank you very much, Mr. Brock!"

The Gym Leader smiled for the first time since they had come in. An echoing sound made Derek turn around, and he noticed that the stands that he had thought were impossible to get up to were filled by children, around nine or ten of them.

"C'mon Brock, why are you going easy on them?" one of the girls asked. Derek realized a moment later that she was Brock's younger sister; the resemblance was remarkable.

"Just because you're the first Gym Leader doesn't mean you have to be easy against the rookies! You should show them what it really means to be a Trainer!" a boy shouted. He seemed to the oldest amongst them, and his face showed a confidence in himself and his brother—something that Derek used to have, yet had lost. He felt himself start to shake, first with self-pity, then with anger. It wasn't fair.

It just wasn't _fair_.

"I did no such thing. Damion deserves this Badge, as he won the battle fair and square. Now, Damion, help your friend over here."

"I can walk on my own," Derek snapped, half towards the Damion who had rushed over, half towards the man he detested, a hiss of rage escaping his throat. He walked past Damion without a word, their shoulders brushing softly. He stepped into the Trainer box that had been drawn on the stone floor with white paint, gazing down at the unscathed battlefield. The mud had already hardened, and would make no difference in the battle. "Brock, I challenge you to a Gym Battle."

Brock remained standing where he was, motioning calmly for Derek to join him in the center of the field. "Same rules as before. Name?"

"Derek." His jaw clenched, and he felt his eyes dart across the field on some sort of impulse as he walked forward onto the rocky field. He wanted to win, to _destroy _this man that his siblings looked up to. Older siblings never amounted to anything. All they did was disappoint their siblings. It would be better for the kids to learn that, when they saw their role model crushed into the ground by a novice.

Brock's expression changed ever so slightly: his lips pulled into a smile, and his eyebrows raised in amazement. "So you must be the third child of the four children of the Risque family.." His voice was quiet, respectful, as if he understood that Derek was hiding his identity. The boy was still shocked into silence. _Nobody _knew that the Risque family had four children, except for direct relatives or people Derek had met. "Michael had once bragged to the former Gym Leader, my father, that his younger brother would come and show us what a true Trainer was capable of. He seemed pretty happy about his newborn brother. You are that kid, Derek Aaron Risque, are you not?"

Derek felt as if his insides had just been doused with cold water. His blood ran ice cold, only his burning rage allowing him to move. He felt his right hand pulse with a feeling of disgust and rage, and he felt his eyes sting with it. If that was the truth, why had Michael given up on him now, then? "That's right. So what of it?"

"When your brother showed me the picture, you had black eyes." Brock frowned. "Maybe the lighting was odd. You do look a lot different from that picture, don't you?"

Feeling his hand clench involuntarily, he shoved it into his pocket. "That so," he forced out.

"Your brother really seemed to treasure that picture." Brock smiled, looking as if he were laughing inside. "I expect a good battle, Derek Risque." He held out a hand good-naturedly.

Resisting the urge to punch Brock in the face, he placed his hand in Brock's, struggling against his own muscles so as to not try and crush the man's hand. As soon as they let go, he leapt backwards, more nimbly than he realized he could. He turned around and stepped back into the Trainer box.

"Then let us begin," Brock said.

Without so much as thinking, he whipped out Soran's Poké Ball from his belt and hurled it towards the arena, hearing the satisfying _crack _of metal against rock. He caught it dexterously, hardly even having to glance at it. His attention was focused on the solidifying figures of his Pokémon and Brock's, and judging from the size of the latter's...

"That's right. This is what I'm talking about." A vicious smile-like expression pulled at his lips, and he felt his blood pulse at the upcoming challenge. He knew Brock wasn't holding back, somehow, and he knew that he could still win. Risque blood came with a price, but he needed it more than anything now. Pulling his sleeves back, he turned his gaze towards the giant rock snake before him. "I'll finish this battle in five minutes."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I never acknowledge reviews in my chapters' A/Ns (because I only have 1 ~ 4 reviewers at most [usually the former], so it's embarrassing to do), but I just wanna say thanks a ton to you guys: May&Dawn, Ocean-senpai, and Odile...[insert an honorific here]. Seriously.  
><strong>

**I just realized something, but all of them are gals, actually.**

**OTL Do I seriously have no male readers? (Other than Branch, 'course.) That's just sad, Archie.**

**See ya later, Feraligatr!  
><strong>


	11. Embodiment of Stone

_Bat__tle instinct. Strategy. Calculations. Pokémon advantages and disadvantages. Statistics. Strengths and weaknesses. Concentration. Battle patterns. Movement patterns. Utilize every single technique and ability available to you._

_ Let's go._

It was difficult to focus, but his anger helped clear his mind. All uncertainty, all fear, all reluctance faded under his determination to win. Some movements escaped his dull senses, but the more he focused, the more he could catch. The Onix was fast, true, but Soran was faster. Moves would mostly require physical contact, but the Onix's large body would only slow it down. Still, Onix were fast regardless, and they had quick reactions despite being Rock Pokémon. They also were instinctively aggressive, so to train one was...

"Onix, Rock Throw!"

_Calculate_. Derek watched the rocks soar into the sky from the force of the Onix whipping its tail against the ground. Rubble rained down from the skies, but while most of it was simply small rocks, there were still large ones hiding. If Soran were hit by an attack like this outside of a battle, and in a real life situation, it could result in death. Even in battle, though...

_Strengths. Stats. Movement patterns. _"Soran, Quick Attack, straight to the right."

She blurred out of sight in a split second, disappearing as if she had been warped out of the field. She reappeared in another spot, a trail of white streaking behind her. The rain of rocks showered the ground uselessly, cracking the field.

Ignoring the wails of the children and the cheers of Damion, Derek studied the field carefully. He watched Onix turn around to face Soran. With such a large body, as long as Soran was on the opposite side of the field, all it had to do to keep Soran in sight was turn its head, as its body was easily able maneuver with it. Reaction speed was good, too; faster than Soran, due to battle experience.

He felt almost thrilled. Adrenaline pulsed through his blood like poison, engulfing every inch of his body in a burning heat, yet compelling him to move forward. Even the ring in his pocket felt like it was heating up, just as his whole body was. Time was moving slowly, allowing him to see the entire arena in a time completely unreasonable in reality. It wasn't as if he could see every detail, but he could see Soran's movements, the Onix's movements, and the field's condition. Battle instinct was taking over, and only growing stronger the more he concentrated.

"Onix, Iron Tail," Brock commanded.

Images flashed into his mind, imprinting themselves into his mind like a stain or a fingerprint, breaking his focus for a second. He recognized this as the move Michael had won at the Indigo League with his Dragonite, Ziz. He recognized the move, yet the way the Onix was using it was completely wrong; the movement was awkward, the conduct was all wrong, and the attack's strength itself was low.

A growl escaped escaped Derek's throat. "Soran, Quick Attack and Return! Center!"

Luckily, she understood the command in the short amount of time they had. She rushed forward, an aura of white energy surrounding her. Majestically, she leapt forward, shining like a shooting star in the dark room, and collided with the Onix's glowing tail. The two lights seemed to struggle for a moment before the Onix was forced to give in, shocking everyone—Brock especially. Derek watched as the Onix stumbled, the light fading to reveal a cracked tail.

Soran raised her head to the ceiling, her mouth open. The white light seemed to be sucked in, and then was transformed into a sinister, dark energy that burst from inside her. She glowed with an eerie light, her fangs bared and black with the shadow energy. Instead of firing the Shadow Ball, she charged forward, her Return attack melding with her shadow energy. She shot forward, a demon in the night, ready to prey on her next victim.

"Sandstorm!"

"Soran, fire!" Derek shouted, watching as the Onix began to spin, whipping up sand, dirt, and rubble from the field around it. "Scatter the Shadow Ball!"

She growled her approval, and with an amazing jump, leapt into the air before opening her mouth again. Out shot ten, twenty, thirty mini Shadow Balls. Her aura faded as the orbs left her body. They rushed towards their target like ghosts and were sucked in by the gusts of wind from the Onix's extreme spinning speeds. The Eevee landed on the ground again, her fur and scarf whipping in the air as well, her claws dragging in the ground.

Derek heard several "Wow!"s from the children and Damion. When he turned towards his partner, he received a smile and a thumbs up. He shrugged, turning back towards the battle, watching the eerie Shadow Balls spin in the Sandstorm. It was only a matter of time before his plan came to fruition.

As soon as the energy touched the rocks in the storm, they exploded, sending rubble flying everywhere. It added to the Sandstorm, but Derek saw the pieces also fly inside and reach the eye of the storm. The process repeated itself multiple times until the creature was forced to stop. The Shadow Balls and rubble that remained whipped forward from the sudden lack of rotation, blasting into walls and the ground, sending up a dirt cloud.

Neither Pokémon were in any condition to be moving, as they were both panting from the efforts of the attacks they had delivered. Brock, too, seemed to realize this. Instead of using a status or a healing move, though, he shouted to his Pokémon, "Use a Dig!"

It dawned on Derek that if he didn't do something about this attack, it would all be over. Even if he couldn't see, he could hear the Onix charge into the ground, just as Soran tremulously got to her feet. She wasn't strong enough to pull off another combo attack, and a priority move like Quick Attack was too much of a strain on her body. His only options were to try and escape in a different way, or to wait and strike when Onix showed itself.

"Damn it," he cursed, his blood burning. He pressed his palm against his eye, trying to rub away the stinging pain that suddenly flashed through his body. He closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to find a way around the situation.

_The speed of that Onix is too fast to just avoid by instinct. Soran's ears are good, but that Onix is probably just going to wait until it's completely recovered, then strike. Soran won't be able to recover as quickly, since she's not as battle-trained. That Onix has vitality, stamina, and strength on its side, while we've got maneuverability, speed, and strategy._

_ The best plan is for Soran to just survive one hit, _one hit_, and then blast away the Onix when it's weakest: right after its attack. If we can hit the head hard enough, we can probably knock it unconscious. Or rather, if we aim for the body itself, we can restrict its movements by knocking the nervous system out of whack._

Derek bit his lip, feeling irritation change into anger as the dust faded. The hole in the ground was huge, obvious, and not to mention ominous. He was starting to get tired of this battle, and his head was pounding from the effort of sustaining such concentration. Going with his instincts, he shouted, "Soran, you know what to do!"

Soran let out a soft bark-like cough and began glowing. The light gathered together into a star-like shape of condensed energy above her, and then disappeared as if absorbed into the shadows. She closed her eyes, her ears twitching at the slightest of movements and sounds, listening for anything that would signal the Onix's attack.

It took her too long to find out the location of the Onix. She let out a yelp as she was blasted away by the Rock Snake Pokémon bursting out from under her, knocking her into the air. The earth itself seemed to be shaking as it emerged, slid out onto the ground lithely, and bellowed its rage. Soran fell to the ground awkwardly, twisting in the air and falling on her back. Her very fur was blowing from the pure force of the shout, not the mention the whole Gym itself.

Derek held up a hand to his face to block the soundwaves that were blowing him back, his eyes wandering towards his fallen Pokémon. She lay there, shaking with the effort to stand up. He realized why she had landed so awkwardly: she had flipped herself in midair to avoid landing on the scarf she wore.

Was it...over?

"You're Pokémon is defeated," Brock said simply, his arms crossed over his chest. His face showed his disappointment. "You've lost, Derek."

He said nothing, continuing to stare down at Soran. Her body seemed so frail, so broken, that he felt like crying. Slowly, he stepped forward, but stopped himself. He remained in the Trainer box, his shoulders firm. Time passed slowly, a second an eternity, but he continued to wait for his Pokémon's decision.

"Derek! What's wrong with you!" Damion shouted from behind him. "Don't tell me you're gonna lost to...to just the first Gym Leader! We're partners, aren't we? So what if it gets tough? Just get back up even stronger than ever!"

Derek remained silent even as Damion shouted his words of encouragement. He adjusted the collar of his jacket, never tearing his eyes away from Soran. Still she struggled, trying to stand. As long as she had the will to continue, he wouldn't give up. All he could do was respect her determination, and until then, he would wait for her to get up.

"This battle is o—"

"Don't you _dare_!"

Brock looked up, shock flitting across his face. He stared at Derek, shaking his head. "No matter what you do, you can't change this outcome, Derek. It's over already."

"I said _don't you dare_!" he repeated, his voice echoing a hundred times in the Gym. A silence overcame the room, as even Onix watched in surprise. He wiped away the tears that had filled his eyes, frustration and anger spilling out of him. "You think this is over? You think that I've lost! You trust your siblings, don't you?" He slashed his hand through the air, towards the children. "And they trust you! Then believe my brother's prediction—I'm going to win. But this has nothing to do with my brother, who once held the confidence to go as far as to brag about me winning ten years in advance. I'm here for one reason, and for one reason only. I came to prove that I am who I am, and that I don't need anything else. I'll show you our resolve, and our strength. Soran, show them your..." He caught himself. He held out his hand in front of him, staring at the scar that colored his palm dark. He clenched his fist tightly, digging his nails into his palm. "_Our _Wish!"

Finally, the delay ended. The star reappeared, filling the room momentarily with a blinding light. Every shadow was eradicated and all was illuminated in the transcendent glow. The technique finally took its effect, spinning over Soran's fallen body rapidly, gaining speed and spreading a light that grew brighter with every second. Every rotation brought another color to the points of the star, until seventeen lights edged the star's outline, each sparkling with a unique color. They melded until every color in the rainbow, and every color in between, shone in the star.

With a sound like that of nature exhaling, the star burst in a flash of colored light, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. When Derek dared to open his eyes again, Soran was once again standing, her fur sleek and shiny, her scarf spotless, and her expression completely focused. With a roar of deafening and shocking power, she lunged forward, glowing with another combination of Quick Attack and Return. A sound like that of raging thunder resounded throughout the room, shaking all the people to their very cores as Soran collided with the unsuspecting Onix.

If one hadn't understood what the situation was firsthand, they would have thought an explosion had taken place. In reality, though, the energy from Soran's "Quick Return" had surged forward and condensed into a flame-like aura around Soran. It was a vicious power, bursting with strength and cackling with power, unlike the smooth, wavy feeling of a normal Quick Return—it was a technique Derek had never seen, or so much as heard of, before. All the power was concentrated on one singular point, resulting in a single bursting blow that sent even the 210 kilogram Onix skidding into the wall. The children on the balconies gasped, Damion let out a whooping cheer, Brock let out an alarmed shout, and Derek simply watched in amazement.

Everyone knew that the battle was over when the Onix keeled over onto the ground. Derek could only stare, hardly able to believe it. It was over.

Finally, finally, over.

He stepped up to the battlefield, picking up Soran from her position on the ground. She was completely wiped out, having focused all her energy into the last attack. Still, she quietly licked his cheek as he held her to his chest. He adjusted the scarf around her neck, appreciating the still-remaining scent of his lost friend.

"You were amazing," he told Soran. He gave her the softest of looks he could, feeling afraid to look at her too long or too harshly, lest she break like fragile glass. "Thank you, Soran."

"Ee..." she mewed. She closed her brown eyes and fell asleep in his arms. He held her for a few more moments before returning her to her Poké Ball.

He turned towards Brock, who had walked up to him. The Gym Leader smiled, holding out his hand. In his palm was a octagonal gray Badge, glistening in the stadium lights. "This is yours, Derek. You deserve it. I think even my siblings, who are always telling me to stop handing these out, would accept this. Am I right, guys?"

Derek turned towards the children, who all looked shocked and amazed. The oldest, the one who had spoken before, exclaimed, "That was so cool! How did you train your Eevee to be so strong? And you were so _awesome—_your battling skills are _so cool_!"

With the determination of winning gone, Derek felt himself flush with insecurity. He glanced around, looking for something to distract himself, but finding none, simply faked a smile and scratched his head nervously. "I guess...um...luck?"

A memory flashed into his head. Matthew had realized this kind of situation would happen, he realized. He remembered the older Trainer's words: "Don't hold back to fight with your best effort, if you ever have to." Then Flint: "The more you try, the better you get. Keep that attitude of yours, and you'll never get stronger. The sooner you show your true self, the better it'll be for your future."

Was this what he was really capable of? And was this what Soran could do when they were battling seriously? He gazed at the broken battlefield under them, from the shattered rocks to the broken walls. He had only been able to concentrate on the battle because he had been angry—but is getting angry a good way to battle?

"No idea about your whole five minute declaration, but that was some superb battling. I don't know what made it happen, but if this is what you can do, then it can't be bad," Brock said, as if reading Derek's thoughts. The boy started in surprise as Brock grasped his wrist and placed the Boulder Badge in his gloved hand. "Congratulations, Derek. You've officially received your first Badge. Check your Trainer Card; it should show up on there, as well."

Derek gazed down at the Badge, then looked up at Brock. "Thank...you very much."

He smiled. "Michael was right. I don't know what happened between you two, but I know that you'll be able to settle things. It will take time, I know, but you can do it."

Exhaustion sapping at his consciousness, Derek nodded dully, too fatigued to get angry again. "I...is your father named Flint, by any chance?"

Brock blinked. "Do you know him?"

Derek shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I just think I might've heard about him before. Maybe as a famous Trainer or something."

The Gym Leader put a hand on Derek's shoulder, a smile on his face. "That's good to hear. But Derek, your battling is great. Amazing, even. But...it's a bit dangerous as well. Try to understand that you have to get past your anger, all right?"

He nodded. "Thank you, again. I—"

"Derek!" Damion shouted, practically straight in his ear. The two fell to the ground as Damion jumped on Derek's back, nearly smashing Derek's face into the rocky field.

He felt the impact nearly shatter his bones, and could feel the bruise already forming. He groaned, trying to force himself up with his hands. "Don't _ever _do that again!" Derek snapped, slipping out from under him and sitting up in horror and shock. "Geez! I nearly had a heart attack, damn it!"

"S-sorry. But that was just so _awesome_!" Damion said before laughing on the ground. He was literally rolling on the floor laughing. He was so happy and joyful that Derek nearly felt like he, too, was happy. He probably would have been if Damion hadn't said at that moment, "You also said some pretty awesome stuff there!"

Brock smiled, kneeling down next to them. "You two are following the Gym circuit, right?"

Derek and Damion both looked up. The former answered while the latter laughed his head off. "That's right."

"Then you guys should go check out Mt. Moon and get through it. It's not too complicated a place, but it'll probably take a week or two to get to Cerulean. Just follow the path, since it's not a complex route," Brock explained. "Oh, and pack a lot of Pokémon food and supplies for yourself."

"Cool!" Damion grinned, cocking his head towards Derek in his excitement. "You think we'll find any rare Pokémon?"

Derek sighed. "If it's us," he said, gazing down at the Poké Balls containing Zorro and Kutsune, "I don't doubt it, Damion."

"Yep! Let's go, then!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Yeah. I left it on such a horrible ending, I should get sued.**

**Moving on, some stuff is happening with me in the real world, so Lost Memories, Revamped! might be delayed a bit, instead of being released on Monday like usual. Soz about that. (That's why I'm uploading this chapter a day in advance.)**

**On a happier note, congrats to Derek and Damion on their first Gym Badges! Woot woot! 1/8 for the Indigo League!**

**And spoiler alert: Another Pokemon capture next chapter, hah. Unfortunately, I shoved all the capture chapters near the beginning, so yeah. Don't hate me for it.**


	12. Requiescat In Pace

"So...where are we?"

Derek looked up. Upon exiting Mt. Moon, they had found themselves entering some sort cave-like path, dark except for the light of Zorro's sparking electricity. It was damp, which was rather irritating for Derek and verged on painful, though he said nothing about it. It had taken them half an hour to realize they had probably gone the wrong direction and taken a bad exit out of Mt. Moon, but when Derek said this, Damion simply said he wanted to see if there were any rare Pokémon.

So they continued onward. The walls were smooth yet damp, which led him to believe it was an old seaside cave, perhaps one that had caved in. There was no natural light in the place, and the floor was wet with, judging from where they were, seawater. Derek was rather worried that Zorro would electrocute them all if the Magnemite wasn't careful; as it was, no matter how cautious they were, the occasional shock was still annoying—almost as much as the moisture in the air.

"Damion," he began, but stopped with a sigh. "You know what, I don't even care. We're gonna have to turn around if we don't find anything in another hour."

The boy pouted. "Oh c'mon. I bet we'll find something!"

Derek shook his head. "You're way too optimistic. What's to say that we won't just—"

The floor suddenly gave way under him. For a moment, he noticed he was falling over, slipping on a wet patch on the ground. In that single instant, he felt a flash of panic as gravity seemed to disappear; he was floating, yet nothing was happening. His descent was as slow as if he were moving through jello. Then, the moment ended, gravity returned, he felt his body fall, and the winds swept at his face. For the umpteenth time, he was falling.

"Kutsune, String Shot!" he shouted in panic, releasing the Caterpie from her Poké Ball. In an instant, the pink Bug Pokémon shot a blast of the white, sticky substance straight up to the ceiling of the cave that was already so far above them. The strings hit the wet rock in the shadows, but the moist stone shrugged off the string. The winds didn't let up, but something felt odd about the fall. His body wasn't really reacting to the fact he was dropping so quickly.

It had already been five seconds, and they _still _hadn't reached the bottom; it was either an awfully long way down, or they weren't actually falling as fast as they thought they were. The winds lashed at him, whipping up his jacket and hair with a gale, but he didn't feel his body panic from gravity pulling him down. Still, Derek looked around him but saw nothing that he could do to save himself, save grab onto his floating Magnemite.

_But Zorro's already released, and way up there, _he told himself. He cursed his own stupidity; how could he have slipped yet again, and fallen straight off of a cliff this time? Besides, how was there even a cliff in a cave, anyway?

Cave? Cliff? Through Mt. Moon? Something told him that this wasn't adding up. There was no way that they could have entered a cave through Mt. Moon and have a place damp with seawater: there was the entirety of Route 4 between the mountain and the seaside city of Cerulean, and the route itself was far away from the coastline. Nor was it logical for him to be able to fall for such a long period of time without so much as a difference in scenery. Only the shadows moved, flickering and changing every second.

Derek blinked. The only reasonable explanation was that he _wasn't _in a seaside cave and that he _wasn't _falling. Which meant that...

"Kutsune, blast that Pokémon straight in front of us with a String Shot, all right?"

The Caterpie obeyed reluctantly. The attack slid through the air, fast enough to overcome the winds that blew at them, and struck _something_. The winds instantly stopped, and a shriek of pain sounded from below them, but Derek found himself still in the air. He elbowed the space behind him as hard as he could behind him with his right arm, feeling the satisfying sensation of burying his elbow into something's stomach.

Immediately, they were dropped. Momentary panic filled him, but he found it unnecessary when he landed on the ground only a few feet under them. He stood up and shook himself, spluttering with the seawater that had gotten into his mouth. He felt uneasy, what with his soaked clothes and wet body. Shivers took over his body, but he managed to return Kutsune and turn towards his two enemies with a straight back.

Or rather, three.

"Clever of you to try pranking me like that," Derek said, glaring at the Pidgey, Haunter, and Lapras before him. It all made sense; the Pidgey had faked air resistance with a Whirlwind attack while the Haunter held onto him. With such a body, he would have never guessed the Ghost-type was there; plus it was capable of producing shadows that would give the illusion of movement. The Lapras had caused the seawater in the cave—a Brine attack. He couldn't guess why they would bother to do something so elaborate, but it all fit together. He bit his lip. "Tried to scare me unconscious or something?" He spat out the water in his mouth. "What happened to Damion?"

All three of the Pokémon backed off. Looking the most uneasy, the Lapras pointed a flipper towards the ceiling, where Damion was suspended in midair by what seemed to be the Transport Pokémon's Psychic. Derek was impressed that the Pokémon knew such a move, though it wasn't yet strong enough to hold two humans, apparently. The Lapras released its mental grasp on Damion, letting him fall to the ground below. Derek caught him deftly, a groan escaping him as he felt the impact on his arms. He dropped Damion to the ground without a second thought, ignoring the sounds of protest and complaints.

The red-eyed Trainer cast his gaze upon each of the Pokémon, studying them. The Pidgey rather resembled a Spearow, though was much less rougher and looked more tame. With its brown plumage and beige chest and wing feathers, it was rather easy to spot in the cave. Its brown tail feathers fluttered as it flapped its short, rather oval-shaped wings to remain airborne. Sharps eyes and a haughty expression, though, told him this Pokémon wasn't all that pleased.

The Haunter was a typical ghost, with a purple-to-black body, sharp leering eyes, and a large mouth that, while usually displaying a devilish grin, was pulled back into a scowl. It had two three-fingered hands that floated along with its body, not connected to the body itself yet still a part of the Haunter. Its sharp teeth glowed unpleasantly in the light of Zorro's electricity, and the Pokémon itself looked nearly transparent in the dark.

The Lapras was most surprising to see. Colored blue with a underside similarly colored as the Pidgey, it stood out rather well against the dark background. It rather resembled a sea-based dinosaur, with four flippers—two large front ones and two smaller back ones—and a smooth, long neck. A small horn adorned its face, standing in the middle of its forehead, and its black eyes shone. Curled ears finished up her face. A gray, horned shell stood on her back, large enough for several people to sit on.

Something about each of them was odd, though. They looked uneasy, and they had every right to be so, but they also looked...frightened. Lonely. The way the Pidgey moved showed it was all too used to combat, what with the ruffled feathers and the sharp look in its eyes. The Haunter's expression displayed a strong doubt, portraying its wish to leave the situation. But most perplexing of all was the Lapras' expression. It just seemed sad, as if despite all its power and abilities, it was still unable to do what it wanted.

"We won't battle," Derek said simply. To prove his point, he returned Zorro to its Poké Ball, and received a few relieved expressions in return. Still, though, they all looked uncomfortable, and extremely anxious. He could tell from the way they were acting what gender each was. The Pidgey and Haunter were both males, while the Lapras was a female. No wonder she was so sullen; it was a horribly harsh place to live, inside a cave in the middle of nowhere, and especially so for a girl.

At least, that's what Yuki had told him every time he tried to leave to buy something.

A sudden chill overcame his body, causing him to shiver. He sneezed once, twice, three times, and then broke into a coughing fit. As he thought, the water wasn't good for him. He pulled his jacket more tightly against himself, trying his best to maintain an angry look towards the Pokémon. Yet somehow, he couldn't help but feel bad.

Damion, apparently, felt the same way. "Are they...all right, Derek?"

He knelt down on the ground, unable to stay standing. "I hope so. Do you think we should take them with us out of here, then release them?"

The other boy nodded. "I don't know if they would like that, though."

"We could ask," he suggested through a shudder. "But they..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't you think it's sort of weird? There's no way of explaining why a Lapras, a Haunter, and a Pidgey are in an underground cave. Do you think, maybe, judging from the Lapras' Psychic attack, that they're..."

"Trained Pokémon?" Damion finished, eyes wide with amazement. "That explains everything! It must be true! But then..."

Derek swallowed. "Damion, I don't think they were abandoned just because the Trainer was being stupid. The fact they're all together means something. And the location means that..."

A sharp intake of breath from the green-eyed boy. "Is the Trainer...?"

Derek shivered, both from the water and the ominous feeling in the air. "I hope not. But likely, chances are that he's...dead."

The Pokémon apparently heard Derek. The Pidgey's wings began to move slower and slower, less and less, until the movement died down completely, and he rested on the ground, hiding his face in his wings. The Haunter disappeared into one of the walls, probably to hide his face as well. The Lapras, instead of hiding her sorrow, let out one loud wail. A hundred Lapras shouted back, echoing the three Pokémon's sorrow. Derek nearly punched himself for being so stupid, and would have, if not for him feeling constricted by the pain burning up his body.

"D-Damion...go look for him."

"The Trainer?" He turned to Derek, white as a sheet. "No way! There might be...might be ghosts out there. Or worse, a zombie!"

"Haunter's a Ghost Pokémon, and zombies don't exist," he pointed out, trying his best to talk smoothly. "Just do it for me, will you? We can't catch them if they're already...already contracted to a Poké Ball."

"A-all right, I'll do it." The boy stood up shakily, glancing around warily. He dashed into the distance, running with his arms waving around like an Tentacool, probably his way of warding off spirits and the undead.

Derek, on the other hand, forced himself up and leaned against a wall. He stared at the sobbing Lapras and hiding Pidgey, then gazed at his chain belt over his shirt. He had already used two of the four he had gotten from Professor Oak, and had bought a Great Ball before leaving Pewter City, leaving him with three. He recalled Damion only having caught one Pokémon since they left, also leaving him with three. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate on how to deal with the situation.

_All I have to do is get Damion to find the Trainer's Poké Balls. If we get them, we can release these Pokémon, catch them before they do anything, and then drop them off with Professor Oak, or something._

He swallowed back his fear. Trainers _died _on their journeys if they were careless. If Damion came back dragging a corpse, he wasn't sure what he'd do, other than have his dreams haunted by nightmares of the dead body. He didn't have to wait for Damion to come back, though, as he came back quickly enough. His face was still ashen, but he held up three Poké Balls, his eyes wet with what looked to be tears.

"I couldn't find the Trainer, but...these were lying on the ground over there."

A mixture of relief and guilt flooded Derek's mind, warming him ever so slightly. "All right. Give them here."

He took the three minimized Poké Balls, staring down at them warily. He cast a glance towards the three Pokémon (as the Haunter had, at some point, returned). Subconsciously, his gaze lingered on the Lapras, but he forced himself to turn away and back down at the Poké Balls.

"Is this the right thing to do?" he asked, half to himself, half to Damion.

"Wait, are you going to release them?"

Derek glanced at him. "What else would I do?"

Damion blinked. "What are we going to do after that? We can't leave them here!"

It was Derek's turn to blink. "What do you mean 'what are we going to do'? We catch them, bring them back to the surface, and either release them into the wild, let Professor Oak take care of them, or have them follow us!"

"But I don't have any Poké Balls with me!"

Derek stared at him, dumbfounded. "...What?"

"I told you, I don't have any! I dropped them all somewhere when I followed you off that fall."

"B-but..." Derek stared, horrified. "These Poké Balls are _registered _to us. It's not like I can just give you one and be done with that—I can't catch all three by myself. I already have four Pokémon! One of them will be sent to Professor Oak, and that can't be changed!"

Damion opened his mouth to answer. "Then...isn't it all right if you just let them come with us? Ask them!"

A sudden fatigue overtook Derek's body, leaving him no energy to argue with. He sneezed again, but pulled Soran's Poké Ball from his belt regardless. "Do your thing," he mumbled, letting it drop to the ground. The sphere clattered as it came into contact with the ground, and the noise echoed throughout the cave.

The Eevee that came out looked up at Derek curiously, then turned her head towards the three Pokémon. Apparently she had been listening from inside her Poké Ball, as she moved towards them without hesitation, speaking in a language neither human could understand.

The two boys watched as Soran explained the situation with multiple variations of the single word "Eevee," a few scratchings in the ground, and bark-like noises from deep in her throat. The three Pokémon seemed to understand everything, and the Haunter was especially talkative, sobbing like a newborn baby. He and Soran made up most of the conversation, with a few assertive lines of dialogue from the rugged Pidgey.

Soran turned around, but before she could tell Derek what the decision was, the Lapras said something. Soran cocked her head, listening carefully as the Water Pokémon spoke in a language of symphonic music, mixing high notes with low whispers. The Eevee nodded gravely, then returned to Derek and jumped onto his shoulder.

He felt the softness of her fur against his cheek. "Well?"

"Ee, Eevee ee."

She pointed a paw towards his belt. Following the movement led him to Flare's Poké Ball, which he pulled from his belt. He proffered it to his Eevee, who slapped the button and released the Charmander, who burst forward and hit the ground. He shuddered, just as Derek had, on contact with the water. The word _destiny _flashed through his mind again, but it was silly.

A few words into the ground from Flare explained the situation. Aeris, the Pidgey, Shadow, the Haunter, and Aurora, the Lapras. The former two wanted to be released into the wild, but Aurora had apparently stated she wanted to go with him. It surprised him, though, that Aurora would rather be captured then released into the wild.

He sighed, dropped the Poké Balls to the ground, and crushed them underfoot. It had always sounded cool in the books he had read, so he had tried it, but obviously it wasn't actually meant to be done in real life; his foot felt like it had been shattered. He frowned from the pain, but in a few moments, the three Poké Balls from his chain belt found themselves in his hands.

"I'll be sure to oblige by your wishes Aeris, Shadow, Aurora," Derek said, tossing each of them one at a time towards the three Pokémon.

In quick succession, the spheres hit the ground and sparkled their successful captures. The Great Ball containing Aurora soon disappeared, somehow warping itself out of the place. Derek wistfully imagined how convenient it would be to be able to leave the place like that themselves, but instead, he sighed.

"Damion, let's go back."

"Seriously? After coming all this way?"

He nodded. "We definitely took a bad route from Mt. Moon. Besides...I really don't think I can stay here much longer."

The other boy sighed. "Well...all right."

Derek returned his two Pokémon to their Poké Balls, thanking them for their work, then released Zorro for light. The two boys turned around, ready to go back up to Mt. Moon and leave the cave behind them. Just before they began climbing back up the "cliff" they had fallen off of, Derek paused.

"Wait a sec," he said, turning around. He pulled out a knife from his backpack, and, using the blade, carved into the stone floor. It took a while to get the blade to cut, but the letters he wrote were neat and easy to read. After a few moments of scratching, he stood up to examine his work. Satisfied with the message he left, he returned to Damion's side. In a few moments, they were up the cliff and racing back up the path to Mt. Moon.

As the light of Zorro's electricity faded in the distance, the message faded into the darkness, just as the one it was directed to had. Eight words flickered in the light one last time before fading forever away:_ r__equiescat in pace; __may you rest in peace._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - This is by no means a touching chapter. Nor is it fun, entertaining, sad, or anything of the sort. It's just there to fill the gap and explain how the *#) Derek caught a Lapras.**

**Well, anyway, this chapter is something special to me. For two reasons. One: It's the tenth real chapter of the story (excluding the prologue and the bonus Christmas chapter), so I've finally reached two digits for this story! And two: It's my birthday today. Cut me some slack for not making this chap better-than-the-last-chapter; I've reached decent level, so just let me enjoy one day of suckiness!  
><strong>

**Uh, yeah. That's it. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chap, and that you'll review!  
><strong>


	13. Embodiment of Water

The Cerulean Gym wasn't all that much. As he had been running a rather high fever, Derek was rather dizzy and unable to concentrate on the battle, but he still managed to pummel the opponent's Goldeen with ease, simply telling Zorro to use a Thundershock. Damion, too, won his battle in one attack, as Solar's Vine Whip proved to be much more than a match for the Cerulean sisters.

Disappointment filled Derek as he lay there on his Pokémon Center bed. It was only five o' clock in the afternoon, yet he was stuck napping to try and lose his fever. Sure, he had a bit of a cough and his skin felt like it was burning, plus he was a lot paler than usual—but it wasn't a big deal; the last two ailments happened every time he took a shower. But he had been unable to convince the nurse nor Damion that he was perfectly all right, and was thus stuck under the sheets.

Frowning, he rolled Soran's Poké Ball around on his palm. Memories of the day before filled his mind: Releasing Aeris and Shadow into the wild had been a bit of an ordeal, especially after both had apparently evolved after the Trainer trade. The Pidgeotto and Gengar had taken off together, probably to find their own place to go, but it wasn't easy getting them to leave quietly. A Gengar attracted way too much attention and would be sought after by all Trainers, so Derek had decided to "keep" them, in the sense that they were officially recognized as his Pokémon. The Poké Balls were transferred to Professor Oak, so Derek was left with one spot left for Pokémon.

He gazed down at Aurora's Great Ball, sighing in exasperation. It had been so difficult to just get to Cerulean City, what with the cold and exhaustion, but having to make sure that Aurora had been transferred to Professor Oak properly had taken a long time. Still, getting the Great Ball back had helped his mood quite a bit, which was probably why he had been able to defeat the Cerulean sisters before he had collapsed onto the Gym floor.

Leaning back, he tried his best to relax on the bed. His headache was mostly gone, though he still felt a bit sluggish. Outside was a nice day, which was probably why Damion had been reluctant to go check out the market for supplies (and more Poké Balls to replace the ones he had lost). It was the perfect day to train a bit, to perfect battling skills, and all sorts of crap.

He pulled the Boulder and Cascade Badges out of his jacket's pocket. He had already gotten two Gym Leaders' approval for his acceptance into the Pokémon League with way too much ease. The circuit was said to get harder quickly with each Gym, but the first two had been complete pushovers, especially Cerulean City. If it was going to be this easy, then Matthew wouldn't have warned him about how harsh being a Trainer was.

Once, when he was a kid, he had read a book on the Pokémon League. It had stated that all the Badges that were legalized held a special meaning and signified a trait a Trainer should have if they want to become a Champion. If he recalled correctly, the Boulder Badge represented courage and resolve, or the will to fight—even against much stronger opponents. The Cascade Badge represented serenity and adaptability to different battling situation, along with a gentle heart; this was probably the reason why the Cerulean Gym, despite being so weak, was authorized as an official Gym. After all, if you wanted to make sure you _didn't _kill, you'd have to hold back and be "gentle."

Another sigh escaped him. He glanced beside him, towards the medicine and glass of water. After a moment's hesitation, he put the two pills in his mouth and chugged them down with the water, then grabbed his clothes. He changed out of the loose fitting spare clothes the Pokémon Center had lent him and back into his usual outfit, which was nice, warm, and soft. It smelled of laundry detergent, which wasn't a bad change from his own sweat.

A split second of hesitation stopped him. But the moment passed, a thrill of adrenaline filled him, clearing his feverish head (or maybe it was the medicine?). He pushed open the window and jumped out, glad he had scored a ground floor room.

Had he been the type to laugh, he would have. As it was, he still felt like releasing all five of his Pokémon and simply enjoying the day. The streets of Cerulean City were clean and varied, ranging from cobblestone to cement. The high buildings and the people walking around was amazing to see after the weeks of journeying. What with the feeling of a clean body, and with the feeling of fresh clothing, he almost felt like he could fly.

Finding himself in a park, he leaned against one of the trees, appreciating the support. Even if he felt elated, his body was still weak with the cold, so it was quite comfortable. He gazed up at the leafy branches, recalling memories of how he had first met Yuki in a similar situation.

One of his Poké Balls popped open. He glanced down, surprised to see Soran lying on the ground, looking happy. She sped around the tree and Derek with a Quick Attack, and then rushed off to view the rest of the park.

Amused, Derek called out to her, "Be sure to come back, Soran!"

"Ee!"

He closed his eyes, feeling the tension in his body leave him. It was relaxing to be in the shade of a tree on a nice spring day. Plus, the fact he could enjoy the moment while Damion was probably struggling to find everything on the list of necessary supplies Derek had given him made the situation all the more enjoyable.

Three of the remaining Poké Balls on his belt popped open as well, and soon, he found himself surrounded by his companions. In just a month, he realized, he had caught a team of five. He noticed Aurora hadn't come out of hers, so with a casual motion, he tossed her Great Ball into the air.

The Pokémon treated each other rather well, and despite Aurora's shy attitude, she seemed to fit in well. Of course, Flare was being a loner, and Soran (who had rushed back as soon as she saw the sparks of electricity from Zorro) was probably trying a bit too hard to get Kutsune and Zorro to calm down and have a normal conversation, but other than that, it was an all right thing to see. He felt all the pride a new Trainer would ten-fold. He had found and raised each of these Pokémon and they appreciated him, and he them.

The sound of wind made him look up, though to his surprise, it had been no wind. A girl stood before him; her voice had been so soft and gentle that he had thought it was a breath of wind, though he realized she had probably exclaimed "Wow!" Her expression was quite cute, with wide dark eyes and slightly open soft lips. A lock of her hair leaned across her face, shadowing a bit of her nose. Her hair was like a midnight sky, composed of shoulder length black strands and dark blue tints.

Derek gazed at her, bemused. She wore modest clothing that suited her, yet from the way she dressed, he knew she was slightly reserved. It was spring, yet she wore a sleeved purple shirt and dark jeans, showing she wasn't really the type to show off her body. It struck him with irony that the sleeves comparison applied to both of them, so he pushed the thought aside. Simply the way she held herself hinted a shy attitude. Instinctively, his eyes flickered towards her waist, his guess being confirmed when he saw her lack of Poké Ball belt. She wasn't a Trainer.

No need to worry about battle. Still, that didn't mean there was nothing to worry about, though. Quietly, he muttered to Soran, "Mind doing me a favor and going up to her for me?"

"Ee?" she mewed.

He took that as a "Why?" and said, "I think I'd scare her off."

She made a noise that sounded distinctly like laughter, but she nodded her approval. She jumped forward, landing in the surprised girl's arms. A lick to the cheek to seal the deal, and the girl was hooked.

"Damn she's gotten good at charming people," Derek muttered. _Geez, Yuki, you must've affected her with the way you always manage to charm everyone you speak to._

Surprisingly enough, Derek noticed the rest of his Pokémon lingering back behind him, hiding behind the tree he was leaning against. He turned around, bewildered by their reaction. He could understand Aurora and Flare, since they were both a bit...awkward, but Zorro and Kutsune?

"Something the matter?" he asked, frowning. He put a hand on Zorro's head (or rather, body), receiving an electric shock to the glove in response. "You should really stop wasting electricity like that, Zorro. Kutsune, what's wrong? Normally you'd shoot a String Shot at...oh." He sighed. "Don't tell me it's just because you guys actually _know _Damion and me that you shock us and shoot us down with String Shots?"

Zorro nodded with as an embarrassed a look an electromagnetic creature with no facial features but a single eye could show. On the other hand, Kutsune simply shot a String Shot at Derek, who barely managed to dodge it. He frowned at her, though he got the message.

"Geez. Temper, Kutsune. Zorro, don't worry, she won't...uh...I dunno, turn you into a Poké Ball or anything. Whatever they do to Magnemite," he assured it. "Kutsune, I'd actually rather you _didn't _go near her, in case you start—yeah, start doing that," he growled, dodging another String Shot. "Flare, can't you—" He ducked. "—do something?"

"Char?"

"I don't care, just stop her from shooting!" he grumbled at the confused expression on his Pokémon's face. The Charmander shrugged, picking up Kutsune with one clawed hand. The Caterpie immediately stopped shooting at Derek, instead shooting at the tree he was leaning against. She swung herself up to the top, nearly smacking Derek in the face as she did so.

Another sigh escaped the boy. He turned back to the girl, who was a bit pink in the face and still holding Soran. He nearly frowned at how Soran was acting, as it was completely fake...hopefully. The slightest of doubts formed about how genuine her feelings towards him as her Trainer were, but he pushed them aside. If she had hated him, she would have told him a long time ago through vicious biting and disobeying instructions in battle.

As if in response to his thoughts, Soran looked up and jumped back towards him, landing on his head rather than his shoulder. He nearly fell over from the sudden weight, but before he could tell her to get off, he noticed how surprised the girl looked.

"Uh..." he began awkwardly, trying to come up with something to say. "Do you...er...have an interest in Pokémon?"

She nodded, also looking a bit awkward. "I...guess you could say that."

He frowned; she wasn't the talkative type, which made it much harder to start a conversation. He never realized how much he depended on Damion to keep people talking. He cast a glance towards his Pokémon. The expression on his face must have been pretty pathetic, because Zorro and Flare both walked (or floated, in Zorro's case) towards the girl. They both seemed rather well contained, though he did notice Flare constantly slashing away Zorro's electricity with continuous Flame Slashes. It was an odd sight, seeing a Charmander and Magnemite walking together, though he guessed that considering the attitude Flare had, they were the best match. It didn't strike him how similar the two Pokémon's relationship was to his and Damion's.

"Did you catch all these by yourself?" the girl asked, kneeling next to Flare. The Charmander shook her hand politely enough, which brought back rather nasty memories of how Derek and Flare had first 'shook hands.'

"You could say that," he said. "A few unique cases here and there."

He patted Aurora's neck. She still hadn't gotten over her former Trainer's disappearance, but he knew that it was just a matter of time before she recovered fully. Soran, too, jumped onto her back, patting her long neck with a paw in a motherly manner. The Lapras rested her head on Derek's shoulder, which was a bit uncomfortable, but he dealt with it.

"Ah! I can't just stick around like this!" The girl stood up suddenly, her eyes on a black Pokétch she wore on her wrist. "My brother's probably waiting for me."

Derek blinked. Another person with a sibling; he just hoped that she had a worthwhile brother. He faked a smile and nodded towards her. "Hope you the best of luck, then?"

"Yeah! Thanks, um..." She blushed, as if embarrassed. "Er..."

"Derek."

"Marina Oath," she said, smiling. She waved a hand hesitantly, then ran off.

Derek watched as she left. She wasn't a particularly fast runner, but she was definitely more athletic than him, which rather hurt his pride. He sighed, the fake smile fading from his face. She was an odd girl, that Marina Oath. She was shy and reserved, yet something told him that there was something she hadn't shown to him. Perhaps it had just been his imagination, but something about the way she spoke, something about the way she acted reminded him of Yuki.

It struck him at that exact moment that she hadn't even showed a trace of surprise towards his red eyes.

His head was beginning to hurt again, but he ignored it. He shrugged to himself and turned back towards his Pokémon. "Well, guys, we might as well—"

"Derek!"

"—run for the sake of keeping our sanity. Kutsune, String Shot him for me?"

Derek looked up towards the pink Caterpie in the tree branches above him. With as sassy a grumble a high-voiced "cute" Caterpie could make, she shot towards Damion who had appeared in the distance, managing to grab the shopping bag in his hands. She jerked her head back, swinging the things to Derek, who caught them deftly.

"Geez, this crap is heavy," he muttered, opening up the plastic bag. "What did he buy that's so freaking...What the hell is this?"

Damion reached them after a few moments, breathing rather heavily. "Hm? Did I do something wrong?"

"Why...why did you buy infrared goggles?" Derek asked, picking up the packaged goggles and staring at them. "It's not like we _travel _at night. Are you planning on stalking little children in the night and watching them sleep as well?"

"Look, I only did that once, and I wasn't actually _watching _you sleep!" Damion protested. Clearing his throat, he visibly calmed down and grinned. "No, I heard there's a rare Pokémon in the area that only comes out at night."

"A Pokémon at night?" Derek repeated. When Damion nodded, he simply sighed. "Damion, the only Pokémon that show up at night are nocturnal. The only nocturnal Pokémon in the Kanto region that could be around here are some city Rattata, Murkrow, Zubat, and maybe an Oddish or Venonat." He frowned. "None of those are particularly rare, except maybe the Murkrow and Venonat. But those show up in the day, too!"

Damion blinked. "But I heard the Pokémon was four-legged and really big! Like a Persian or something!"

"Maybe it's just a gigantic Raticate," Derek argued. When he saw a grin replace the energetic boy's pout, he said with exasperation, "You don't care, do you?"

"Nope! Raticate are cool, too!"

He sighed. "Fine. Route 5? 9?"

"5," Damion said. "Wanna start today or tomorrow?"

"Might as well start today. Is it far out, or near Cerulean?"

"Hm..." Damion thought for a moment. "Wait a second—shouldn't you be in bed?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Wasn't that why you came after me in the first place? Or were you so excited about the news about this 'rare nocturnal Pokémon' that you forgot that I should be in bed, sleeping?"

Damion flushed a darker red than a Poké Ball. "W-w-well, you just looked fine so I..." His eyes glanced around, unable to look up at Derek's face. "A-anyway, let's get back to the Pokémon Center and get you to bed."

"Sure, sure, _Daddy_."

He patted Damion on the shoulder, amusement and a bit of happiness filling him up. It was such a different feeling from adrenaline, he realized as he walked, his Pokémon following behind him. It was a bit like a fuzzy warm feeling bubbling inside him. The feeling was..._softer_ than adrenaline.

He almost felt like smiling, even when the fever struck him unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Yeah, you read right. Derek just _fainted_.**

**ROFLCOPTER**

**Moving on, I wasn't sure whether to call this Embodiment of Water or something else, since the Gym Battle doesn't actually play a prominent role. But since this whole chapter is based on Derek having a tranquil, calm day, I just decided that it would work.**

**Anyway, I didn't proofread this too carefully, so there are bound to be mistakes. Sorry about that, but it's past midnight and I wanted to upload something today. (...That's counter-intuitive, I think...)**

**Well, whatever. See y'all, R&R, and see y'all when I finish the next chapter.  
><strong>


	14. Dark Near the Lighthouse

"I really don't see why we have to sneak around," Derek grumbled to Damion quietly. Still, the infrared goggles over his eyes showed his acceptance of the plan, despite the fact he could see well enough without them. "We've been here for half an hour; maybe nothing's coming!"

"But they said that the Pokémon only shows up underneath the lighthouse's cliff!" Damion whispered back.

"That's too vague! How the hell are we supposed to know _where _near the lighthouse? And besides, that lighthouse isn't even empty, so maybe it's the person in there's Pokémon."

"...It isn't?"

"Of course not! The lights are on. Can't you see that?"

Damion looked up from the leafy cover. He moved around a couple of times, trying to see, but soon turned back to Derek. "I can't see because of the cliff!"

"The lighthouse is _on _the cliff you moron!" Derek snapped, pulling the goggles off in irritation to glare at the boy. "Just look out to the sea and you can see the reflection of the light being—"

A sound of a branch snapping broke the silent night. Dragging Damion back behind the bushes they had been hiding behind, Derek listened closely for any more noises. He held up a finger to his mouth before Damion could ask what he was doing, then turned back to the distance.

At first, it was silent. For a second, Derek thought he had imagined the sound, but then he heard another _snap _of brittle wood breaking. This time, Damion heard it too, and before Derek could stop him, the boy threw a Poké Ball into the air.

Light flashed from the orb, alerting whatever was breaking the wood. A sudden growl burst through the dark. Giving up on hiding, both boys jumped out from behind the bushes, with Derek shoving the goggles into his bag, throwing it behind him, and reaching for a Poké Ball himself. His hand clenched around Flare's, but Damion put a hand on his arm.

"Wait. Can't I try and fight this one?"

Derek scowled. "Is this really the time, Damion? We have no idea—"

"I recognize the growl of that Pokémon!" he cut in. "It's a Houndour."

Derek blinked. "You can tell by the sound of the growl?"

He nodded. "My old teacher taught me that. Sorari, Peck!"

Worried, but confident that Damion could do it, Derek let his hand fall from his belt. He took a few steps back, scanning the area. He could see the twigs they had laid out beforehand, several of them broken. He glanced towards the Pokémon, which was hard to see in the dark, but decipherable. Surprisingly enough, Damion was actually right; it _was _a Houndour. He, too, could tell that it was a Houndour, just from the aura it was releasing.

Similar to a dog, the darkly-colored Houndour was a sight to see. It had black fur that covered its four legs and short tail, as well as most of its face, all the way to its pointed ears. The area around its mouth was colored an orange-red, as was its underbelly. Sharp fangs protruded from through its mouth, and with the dark nose and sharp black eyes of the Houndour, they seemed even deadlier than usual. White bands decorated its ankles of each leg. They seemed to be made of a skull-like material that also covered its back, in two parallel half-bands, and the forehead, in a skull with two eye-shaped holes.

Derek swallowed with a forced smile as he felt the flaming and shadowy energy of the creature. This would probably be their biggest challenge yet, and Damion insisted on facing it alone. What an idiot.

The Houndour easily dodged Sorari's Peck attack, sliding aside with ease. It was much faster than Sorari, not to mention stronger. It leapt forward, glowing with a menacing aura, and struck Sorari down with a paw. The Spearow flew threw the air and crashed into the ground, skidding several feet.

Damion ran towards his fallen Pokémon, crying Sorari's name. Derek frowned, but said nothing, continuing to watch the Houndour. It wasn't as vicious as most Houndour, yet it was much stronger. Something about the way it was acting was odd.

Soran's Poké Ball popped open as it usually did when battles went on. He gazed at her when she jumped onto his shoulder. "This isn't our battle to fight," he told her. "But tell me: That Houndour is a girl, isn't it?"

Soran nodded. She turned slowly from Sorari's unconscious body being returned to his Poké Ball to the Houndour. A soft growl from deep inside her throat began shaking her body, and Derek's shoulder with it.

"Calm down. We have no right to battle."

"Ee," she hissed, but remained on his shoulder, her claws digging into his jacket.

"Fine! Swift, let's do this!" Damion called out, releasing the Wooper inside. "Water Gun!"

"Woo_pah_!"

The water shot forward like a bullet, living up to its name as "Water Gun." Still, the Houndour dodged even more quickly, almost seeming to disappear into the darkness. She lunged forward with a Bite, though Swift managed to dodge narrowly by diving to the side.

Curiosity overtook Derek, making him pull out his Pokédex. He barely ever used it, except for checking his Pokémon's moves, but this time was special. He scanned the Houndour, then Swift. As the data popped onto the screen, he glanced at the contents. He nearly dropped the gadget in surprise.

"Damion, that Houndour is way too strong compared to us. Her stats are really high, compared to our mediocre ones," he said, reading off the information charts. "Plus, she's hardly using any of her strength. She's a Special fighter, not a Physical fighter!"

Damion turned from the battle for a moment to give Derek a shocked look. "You mean she's actually got _stronger _moves?"

"Ember, Flamethrower, and Smog—watch out for those two!"

The Houndour seemed to understand what they were saying. She shot an Ember straight towards Swift, who instinctively countered with a Mud Shot. However, she seemed to have known that Swift would use the move, and took the chance that Swift had left in shooting to lunge forward with another Beat Up. Swift was struck straight in the stomach by a flurry of black-and-blue blows of light and knocked back into Damion's arms, unconscious.

Derek bit his lip anxiously. "C'mon Damion," he muttered. "Come _on_."

"Thanks, Swift," Damion mumbled to the sleeping Wooper. He returned him to his Poké Ball, then turned towards the Houndour once again. "All right, Solar, let's do this! Vine Whip!"

"Bulbasaur!" he cried, immediately beginning the onslaught upon release. The Houndour easily dodged the vines, sidestepping as if it were child's play. She let out a Howl, which echoed in the night, causing everyone to cringe. In panic, Damion called out, "PoisonPowder!"

"Damion, don't!" Derek shouted, but he was too late; he could only watch as Solar released the dust-like particles into the air. They floated towards the Houndour, who glanced at them with a bored look. After what seemed to be an eternity, she opened her mouth—and let out a bloodcurdling Roar. The PoisonPowder was blown back by pure sound and shot back towards them.

"Damn it." Derek grabbed Flare's Poké Ball and released the Charmander inside as quickly as possible. "Burn the powder—Flame Slash!"

The Charmander pulled back his claw, holding it by his side. Flames burst from each individual nail, and as Flare swept his claw through the air, the flames left his hand, burning through the air as a wave of flames. The powder caught on fire, filling the air with tiny burning lights.

Soon, the flames disappeared. The only source of light was the moonlight and Flare's tail, which cast light on Solar and the Houndour. For a moment, she glanced at both of the trained Pokémon, and then lunged towards Solar.

"Damion, sorry!" Derek said, then commanded, "Flare, intercept—SmokeScreen!"

Black smoke filled the area, further darkening the night. The only light was Flare's tail, which glowed dimly in the SmokeScreen. As expected, the Houndour charged for Flare, who managed to hold off the Beat Up attack.

A sudden gust of wind blew away the smoke. Derek glanced at Solar, who was cleverly using a Vine Whip attack as a fan-like apparatus. The Trainer shouted, "Ember!"

Flare opened his mouth and shot ball-shaped flames at the Houndour. Instead of dodging, though, she jumped forward and swallowed them. She glowed the color of fire, then shot forward and slammed Flare in the side, knocking him away. Derek cursed himself for his stupidity; he had completely forgotten that Houndour had the Flash Fire ability, which completely absorbed Fire attacks and transformed them into energy.

"Catch that Houndour with a Vine Whip!"

"Flare, Scratch!"

The Houndour easily ducked under Flare's Scratch attack, then proceeded to catch Solar's Vine Whip with a Bite. She jerked her head up, tossing Solar into the air. She shot an Ember straight up towards the Bulbasaur with perfect timing. Before the flames hit, though, Flare managed to grasp Solar's vines himself and drag the Bulbasaur out of the way. The flames exploded in the air in a burst of orange light.

"Damn it! This Houndour just won't go down!" Derek turned towards Damion. "Any bright ideas, Mr. Rare Pokémon Finder?"

"U-um...Maybe...I know! Solar, return! You too, Derek!"

"What? You don't have any Pokémon to switch to—are you kidding around?"

"Trust me! Now return Flare!"

Derek scowled, but pulled out the Poké Ball. He grasped it in his hand tightly, activating the pressure mechanism. The red light reached forward and returned Flare to his energy form, narrowly avoiding the Houndour's Bite attack. Solar, too, disappeared in a flash of red.

"Switch to Zorro, Derek! Let's do this, Swift!"

He switched Poké Balls, tossing Zorro's out into the air. As soon as the Magnemite formed, Derek turned to look at Swift, who was panting and had only just woken up from his concussion. He felt a pang of sympathy, but turned away.

"Next?"

"Swift, Water Gun!"

Derek got the plan as soon as he heard _water_. "Zorro, ThunderShock!"

The two attacks merged, electricity coursing through the water current. Swift pulled back from the attack before he, too, got electrocuted. They watched as the sparking water shot towards the Houndour, who was too surprised to dodge. It was a direct hit, an explosion of water and electricity that burst through the darkness.

The Houndour hit the ground, eyes closed. Derek saw Damion hesitate and nudged him. "Use your Great Ball, and hurry."

"R-right. Go, Great Ball!"

It soared through the dark air, catching the moonlight and reflecting it. It sparkled as it flew towards the Houndour. On contact, it burst open, absorbing her in a bright light. It shook several times, and with every shake brought a pang through each Trainer's hearts.

Once...

Twice..

Thrice...

Both of them backed away when it burst open, sending the Great Ball flying back to Damion, who caught it in surprise. The Houndour shot towards them with a blinding speed, scoring a successful Ember on Zorro before either of them could so much as turn. The Magnemite hit the ground in an instant, its coat even darker than before.

Though he returned the Zorro quickly, the feeling was different from a normal defeat. Something about this was too much for Derek—and Soran. She was starting to glow with a white light. In a split second she had jumped off his shoulder and shot through the darkness, crashing into the Houndour with a bursting Quick Return attack. The Houndour skidded backwards, panting from the effort of fighting for so long and receiving such attacks. Soran, on the other hand, was completely fresh and raring to go.

They clashed, Return versus Beat Up, neither side letting up. It was true that the Houndour was stronger, but she lacked the energy to keep up with Soran's consecutive combos. The Eevee leapt backwards, her white aura dissipating as the Quick Attack faded. From inside her mouth came a black light, and in an instant she shot several Shadow Balls at the Houndour, who tore through them with a Bite.

"Soran, just finish this: Shadow Ball and Quick Return!"

She raised her head to the sky and began to glow; first with white, then a split second later purple, then finally black. She sped forward and struck the Houndour with a resounding _crack_, sending both Pokémon rolling in the dirt.

"Now, Damion!" Derek shouted to the boy next to him.

"S-sure!"

Again, the Great Ball was thrown through the air. It knocked the fallen Houndour and absorbed it once more and began shaking. This time, though, almost immediately it stopped. It let out a flash of sparks to signal its success.

Damion took a few hesitant steps forward and picked it up, staring down at it oddly. He then turned towards Derek. "This...doesn't belong to me, does it?"

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked, not looking at him. He picked up Soran, a painful memory of how she had looked when she had fought against Brock flashing into his mind. It struck him that the Houndour had never used Flamethrower. "Soran was only able to win because of your electric current idea. The Houndour's yours, Damion. But do you mind if _I _name her?"

"What'd you have in mind?" Damion asked, sitting down on the ground with a breath of exhaustion.

Derek sat down next to him. "Why not...Serin? It's an unusual name, but I think it fits."

"What's it mean?"

"It's not a word with meaning, as far as I know," Derek answered. He gazed up at the moon, patting the fur on Soran's head. He returned her to her Poké Ball after a moment, gazing down at his lap. "It's a character from a story I once read. Or really, _was _read. About some lady with dark powers who shaped the world's savior, though neither of them got acknowledged for it."

"Eh? That sounds like a cool story. Could you tell it to me?"

Derek glanced at him curiously. "'Course not. It was a chapter book; I can't tell you something like that in one day."

"That sorta stinks."

"It _does_, doesn't it?" Derek leaned back onto the grass, laying Soran next to him. "Well, we should get back up the cliff and set up camp soon. Unless you wanna do it here."

"Sure. It's not so bad here, eh?"

"I guess not," Derek agreed.

"You guys better not be thinking about sleeping; I want a battle. Now."

Derek jerked up into a sitting position. He got to his feet a moment later, staring at the girl leaning against one of the trees in the field who had spoken to them. She had light-colored hair tucked underneath a baseball cap and was wearing a short-sleeved jacket over a plain white t-shirt and jeans. If he hadn't heard her voice, he would have thought she was a guy.

A very_ cute_ guy.

"W-what are you doing here?" he asked, taking a step back. If she challenged them to a battle at _that _moment, he would have to battle her with either weakened Pokémon or Pokémon he hadn't trained much yet. He would have no chance at winning. "This isn't really a place that most people would come to."

She laughed. "It's not really any of your business kid, but if you want to know, I was trying to find somebody."

"So you're a stalker?"

She glanced at him. "Is that a joke or are you just an idiot?"

"It's neither a joke nor am I an idiot. It's called asking a genuine question to someone very suspicious." Derek cast a glance towards Damion, who was sitting up and looking rather scared. "Well, how about a one-on-one single battle match?"

"Are you kidding? There are two of you, so why not a two-on-two double battle match? Of course, I'll be battling by myself."

"A double match?" Derek echoed. He studied her complexion, but it was hard even for him to see her in the dark. "Are you from Hoenn or Sinnoh?"

"Johto, actually." She took a step towards them. "Though yes, I have happened to go through Sinnoh."

He blinked. Something flashed into his head—etiquette? _Damn it, Yuki._ "Well...I'm Derek, and this is Damion. Mind telling us who you are, then?"

"Emily." She rolled two Poké Balls—a Quick Ball and a Heal Ball—both made in Sinnoh. "So? What's it gonna be?"

Derek cast Damion a glance. "Are any of your Pokémon in battling condition?" he whispered.

Damion frowned. "I don't think so...unless you want me to use Serin. But I doubt she would even listen to me already, much less be able to fight."

"Fine. I'll handle this battle, then." He mustered up whatever courage he could and stepped forward. It was only at that moment he noticed how much taller Emily was than him. "I think I'm more well-suited to this sort of thing, so why not just us? I'll still go with a double battle if you want."

The Johto girl laughed, the sound resounding in the dark night. "Really, now? Double battles are my specialty; there's no need to sentence yourself to your own death."

Her attitude was beginning to piss Derek off. "I formally challenge you, Emily, to a two-on-two double battle match." He pulled Flare's and Soran's Poké Balls from his belts and swallowed back his fear and anxiety. This was a battle—he needed to get _serious_.

The two tossed their Poké Balls. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Derek's eyes caught something dark against the night as the light from the Poké Balls spread, like a shadow in a shadow. For that split second, he could see some human-shaped figure watching them, as if in curiosity. Then, as if knowing it had been noticed, it receded, disappearing into the shadows.

The instant ended, and the battle was on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - God, I wanted to upload this a few days ago, but FF wasn't letting me log in. Was that for everyone, or just me?**

**Either way, there's chap 12 (or on FF, ****14).** **In the original series, Derek and Damion tag-teamed, but I tweaked the situation a bit, and suddenly this happened. ****But it's still a double battle, so I had fun writing that.**

**A question, though. Am I rushing these chapters? I'm uploading a lot because I'm writing a lot, but I know speed-updating isn't a smart thing to do. So should I slow down or just keep up this pace of every two/three/four days?**

**See y'all! =)**

**(Btw, Serin is a reference to Legendary Legacy. You'll understand what she does when I get to writing that, lol.)  
><strong>


	15. Defeat

"I only just caught these two, so it should be a fair match," Emily said, smiling. The light flashing across the field from Flare's tail shadowed her face in such a way that, quite frankly, freaked Derek out.

But now, pointless distractions were swept away by his concentration. This time, he needed to win—not because he wanted to, but because it would be dangerous if he lost. His eyes swept the battlefield, everything from the broken twigs to the condition of the soil. There was nothing he could use to his advantage, unless the opponent was too fast for them to catch. Then the twigs would come in handy. Other than that, though, the battlefield might as well have been dirt and stone.

He turned his gaze towards the two opposing Pokémon. One was a Marill, a small, round, blue Pokémon, with a bubbling tail and a happy smile. She was literally shaped like a ball, except for the small mouse-like ears on the top of her head (or rather, body). With two small fingerless hands and two round feet, along with a wiry black tail with a bubble-shaped ball of blue at the end, and a white underbelly, the Pokémon was definitely too cute to be threatening. She was like an inflatable mouse toy, only blue.

The other Pokémon was the problem. Doubt started to fill him at the sight of its sparking electric fur; it was a Luxio, and by no means a weak one. If it had been a Shinx, he wouldn't have been worried—but a Luxio? The smooth, young lion-like Pokémon stood tall, with a black mane surrounding its blue head. Derek could tell from the long tufts of the mane that this was a male Luxio. Two round ears, also blue, stuck out from underneath the mane. With four legs, the two front being blue, the two back being black, he looked quite fast. Two golden bands decorated each front leg. To top it off, the Luxio had a black long tail with a star-like point at the end, which he knew was capable of generating electricity. Getting caught in the Luxio's tail was no fun, and the fangs Derek could see when the Spark Pokémon bared his teeth were just as dangerous.

He was lucky that they were rather well-matched. Flare was faster than the two opposing Pokémon judging by average statistics, and Soran had her Quick Attack to deal with speed. Plus, Flare's flames could help keep the Luxio's electricity at bay, while Soran dealt with the danger of the Water Pokémon. With this combination, he was sure to win, as long as he played his cards right.

In theory, anyway.

Anxiety crept in his mind. The battle felt wrong. He had no drive, no adrenaline, like he did against Brock. He had no reason to be angry, no motivation to win, and there was no way he was fighting for a Badge, either. It was a pointless battle. Yet, something urged him forward. Pride? Determination? Faith?

It took him a moment until he realized why he wanted to win. It was such a simple reason that he almost laughed, but it did fill him with the slightest amount of confidence. He didn't want to _win_—he just didn't want to _lose_.

"Flare, Flame Slash towards the Luxio. Soran, Quick Return!"

Emily blinked, smiled, and then commanded smoothly without so much as waiting, "Discharge."

Stats flashed into Derek's mind. It was impossible, _impossible_, for a Luxio to know Discharge at such a low level. And yet, Derek watched as electricity arced off its body like an aura of pure power, hissing and jumping around. All of the electricity turned to shafts of light that blasted in every direction, ranging towards the shocked Eevee and Charmander. They barely managed to deflect the attack with their full power moves, and yet even so, Flare and Soran were scorched by the intense electric jolt.

He turned towards the Luxio, Leo, his eyes wide in shock. This was no rookie battle; he was battling someone way out of his league. In each of the four battles he had fought up to that point, versus Damion, Samurai, Brock, and the Cerulean Gym Leader (he had only battled one of the three sisters, after all), he had never lost a match. He had never had a challenge, as they had always been battling at his level, at his limit of skills.

But now, he was battling someone with no restraints, no handicaps. This was a true Trainer before him, while he was nothing but a novice, just as Samurai had said. Everything from her looks to her battling style to her Pokémon's unstoppable power—they all shouted out an aura of power and determination to win. She was strong. Too strong. Something was creeping into his mind, and before he could stop himself, he asked, "What are you? Are you a Champion or something—to have trained a new Pokémon to be so strong?"

Emily blinked again. She cocked her head, her smile fading. "What, did I lose my cover already? That's right; I'm the most recent Champion of the Lily of the Valley Conference. I came here with the rights to battle Champion Michael Drake Risque."

Derek flinched at the name, but he quickly hid his reaction. He felt himself shake. "Then why are you battling me? I'm...not even a match for someone like him."

"Obviously." Emily yawned into a hand, her fingers outstretched in a manner that Derek recognized as one of Michael's habits. "I just thought you looked a bit like him was all. I guess you're not really as good as a Champion."

His blood pulsed through him. Was he being _mocked _and _compared _to his older brother—without the other person realizing it?

The Johto girl held her hands behind her head, looking bored. "I guess there aren't any great Trainers other than people like Michael, huh? What a waste of time, battling you." She cast a glance towards Damion. "I doubt you're any better, huh?"

The green-eyed boy shook his head. His face was resolute and firm. "Derek can kick your butt any day, even if you're a—!"

"Helping Hand," Derek muttered, stopping the other two. His eyes reached Soran's, and the two nodded to each other. In a flash of light, and what seemed to be a high-five between the two, both Flare and Soran gained a power boost from the technique. "Flare, stand down. Soran, Shadow Quick Return on Sparkle."

"Ee!"

"Not a chance," Emily said, grinning. "You may have a sweet sounding combo ready, but this Marill won't just go down like that."

"You sure? Look again," Derek growled.

The Champion turned her gaze to her Marill, just in time to watch the small blue Pokémon get knocked back by Soran's flickering burst of black energy. The aura started to disappear, but almost as if it were sucked in, the energy was swallowed up into her mouth. Changing into a Shadow Ball barrage in an instant, Soran's attack engulfed the Marill in a prison of vehement ghosts that soon exploded in a burst of black shadows.

"Flame Slash!" Derek commanded.

"Thunderbolt!" Emily countered.

Flames shot forward from Flare's hand as he clawed the air, sending a burning trail of fire shooting towards the Luxio. In response, a huge jolt of electricity was sent back, flickering and jumping around like a snake hunting its prey. The two elements clashed, but, without even a ray of light, resulted in equilibrium.

_Equal in power. Soran overpowered the Marill. Defeat both—now. _"Soran, finish off that Marill with a Shadow Ball!"

"Counter with Hydro Charge Formation!"

_Hydro Charge Formation_? Derek thought. _Is that—_"Damn it! Soran, Flare, run!"

She said she had just caught the two, but obviously, that meant she was the type to train from the get-go. The Hydro Charge Formation burst forward, a Water Gun and Thunder Fang fusing into a current of sizzling water that shot forward like a bullet. It seemed to move like a sparking snake or dragon, sinking its fangs and easily destroying the Shadow Ball Soran had fired, then slinking towards the two Pokémon themselves.

He had no idea what to do. It was beyond him, really. No matter how angry he was, no matter how smart he was, there was no fighting the level of difference between them. She knew what she was doing. He had no idea.

"Derek! Just counter!"Damion shouted from the sidelines. Derek turned towards him, bewildered. The boy looked scared, anxious, as if he were more worried about Derek losing than he was himself. "Do _something_!"

_Something. Damion._ There was nothing that came to mind; how was he to counter that attack? Every second seemed to drag on, allowing him to analyze the situation. Flare and Soran couldn't avoid. They were much too slow to escape the electric water dragon, what with the speed of the attack.

So why not just attack straight on? Why not just...counter?

_Thanks, Damion_. "Flare, Flame Slash!" he shouted. "Soran, Shadow Quick Return!"

Burning, ignited claws slashed through the air and ripped it apart with searing blades so strong, so quick to move, that they seemed to have lives of their own. The three slashes in the air sliced forward and sucked up the oxygen with gusto before colliding head-on with the Hydro Charge. The water evaporated on contact, making Derek realize just how hot Flare's flames actually were.

All that was left was the electric dragon, which Soran took on herself. She glowed with an almighty black-to-white aura, flickering with ghastly energy and positive energy from her Shadow Ball and Return attacks respectively. With a roar, she pounced forward, her Quick Attack leaving a trail of energy following her. The two attacks clashed and, with a burst of light, Soran tore through the electricity. Charged particles sizzled around her, but were absorbed into her protective cloak of energy.

The counterattack wasn't over yet, though. Soran flashed forward with another Quick Attack, ramming into Leo's side. The Luxio let out a howl of pain and was knocked into the distance, crashing into the rocky plateau to Derek's left. The young Trainer could have sworn he heard the sound of crunching bones and shattering stone, making him look up to the top of the plateau instinctively; the lighthouse's interior looked to be dark, so he hoped the person (or people) inside hadn't woken up.

On the other side of the battlefield, Flare and Sparkle engaged in a furious exchange of Flames Slashes against Water Guns. Steam surrounded them but was blown away by the two Pokémon's movements and attacks, as neither side was willing to give up. One sweeping uppercut Flare failed to hit his opponent with was just enough to give Sparkle an opening, which was taken gladly in the form of a Water Gun. The Charmander was knocked back by the rushing water and hit the ground, panting.

Soran took up the battle and lunged onto the Marill, though she, too, was exhausted from the energy taken to use the Shadow Quick Return. Without even being able to land a blow, Soran was sent skidding away by an unnaturally strong Tail Whip, her guard lowered out of surprise and fatigue.

It struck him. _Abilities! _"Emily! Tell me: Does your Marill have the ability Huge Power?"

The older Trainer smiled, as if her joke had been figured out. "Should I have told you sooner? Yeah, that's right; I've got myself one helluva fighter. But you shouldn't turn your back on Leo—especially not if your Charmander there is a male."

_Rivalry as well? _Derek turned, helpless to watch as Flare was struck from behind by the Luxio's cackling fangs. For a moment, the attack seemed to have no effect, with Flare simply staggering out of exhaustion a few feet. But soon, the entire area lit up with a tremendous amount of light, electricity bursting from every inch of Flare's body and eradicating any strength the Charmander may have had left in reserve.

Flare hit the ground, blood dripping from wounds all over his body. Any normal Pokémon would have already fallen unconscious, but Flare merely forced himself back into a standing position. One of his arms, the one bitten by Leo, hung limply by his side, pouring liquid more deeply red than the finest of wines.

Something changed. Flare's bloody wounds began to let off heat, like that of a Heat Wave, burning the air and causing a blaze to surround him in a fiery aura. From his injuries bled flames, singing the ground and arcing off of Flare's body. Within the inferno stood Flare, glistening with an unnatural light. Every inch of his body was engulfed in the fire, yet he was unharmed—rather, he looked stronger than ever.

The turn-around ability: Blaze.

_I should really study up on my Pokémon's abilities, _Derek thought to himself, watching as Flare raised a claw. All the flaming energy gathered to that one spot, just like he had seen from Soran's battle against Brock's Onix. His claws ignited with a white-hot heat as he slashed through the air. It was unlike any Flame Slash before it; three blazing infernos shot forward as if following a path of gasoline, shooting through the air with unbelievable precision. They were like arrows of Hell, burning and flickering, and going straight towards Leo.

But the Luxio wasn't to be underestimated. With a single command from Emily, a Discharge attack burst into existence, arcing off Leo's body and engulfing everything in a ferocious glow. The flames slashed through the electricity as if it had substance, but the particles had done its job; the Flame Slash attack was diverted and crashed into the stone wall behind Leo. The heat was intense enough to crack the rocks, sending a flood of rubble showering to the ground, but it still hadn't hit its mark, rendering the attack useless.

Apparently, though, that was all the Charmander could handle in his current state. Flare's knees buckled, and he hit the ground, his aura fading. Into his own growing puddle of blood he fell, and with that, fell unconscious. His tail fire reduced to a terrifyingly low flame, barely bigger than a candle's.

A shout of outrage pierced the silence. Derek turned towards Soran and flinched at the look on her face. She was livid, ferocious, and obviously devastated. _No one _beat Flare. Even she had only been able to retain him with her full strength the first time they had fought. He had accepted capture, for he knew he was in the right hands and with the right people. The Charmander was unbeatable, untouchable, completely and utterly invincible.

But this Luxio _dared_?

Exhaustion was replaced with rage. Pain was replaced with fury. Lack of confidence and sense of defeat disappeared, all consumed in a deadly anger. A glowing dark energy emanated from her, just as flames had from Flare, surrounding her in a flurry of power. Yet something was different about the energy. Rather than the ephemeral energy of a Ghost-type attack, it was dark and heavy, brimming with negative emotions and consuming and taking into itself the shadows of the night around her. It wasn't a Shadow Ball—it was a Dark Pulse, a move unavailable to Eevee.

Something was wrong.

Her roar blasted the energy forward, shooting the heavy darkness towards the two enemy Pokémon. It engulfed Sparkle in moments and exploded, as if space were collapsing upon itself. The energy condensed and disappeared, shattered and eliminated, removed from existence. Derek had once read about antimatter—how, if coming in contact with matter, it would convert to energy in an explosive manner. It was a similar effect.

Derek could only stare in horror. It was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Soran wasn't meant to fight like that. Pokémon weren't supposed to leave battles bleeding, _dying_. His knees buckled, his eyes stung, and his head pounded. He clutched at his the front of his shirt, trying to steady his heart that continued to shout out to stop the battle.

Something was _very _wrong.

Leo blasted away the Dark Pulse with a Thunder Fang, tearing through the darkness and receiving a multitude of cuts in return. Still, Soran seemed to have exhausted herself with that attack, just as Flare had poured all his strength into one attack. The Luxio was taking every hit and just getting back up as if it were nothing.

He walked slowly towards Soran, fangs still flickering with electric energy. His mane fluttered in a soft breeze, and even with the blood spilling from its wounds, he still managed to pull off a threatening look. One glare at Soran sent her backing away, a growl sounding from her throat. The darkness had dissipated, leaving her defenseless.

Derek's eyes turned their gaze to Flare, who was trying to stand up despite his exhaustion. His reserves were all gone, he was bleeding from all over, and his stance was shaky, but still he edged towards Leo. He stood in front of Soran, battered and bloody, looking as if he were ready to die fighting.

"How heroic," Emily said, smirking. Derek barely had the will to look up at her. "What a Pokémon you have. But you're still too weak. Leo, finish this with a Thunder Fang."

He heard a branch snap from behind him. Derek turned, looking straight into the green emerald eyes of Damion, who stared back with terrified eyes. The boy had backed away and stepped onto one of the twigs they had laid out. With a tremulous voice, he said, "Do something, Derek! You can't just let—"

The words were drowned out by the heavy beating of Derek's heart. He couldn't hear, he couldn't see, he couldn't comprehend what was happening. It was wrong, but _why_? _Why _couldn't he figure out what was wrong. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Why was his mouth moving? He had nothing to say. There wasn't anything _to _say.

He licked his lips and tried again. This time, he succeeded in a low whisper. But still the Luxio advanced, and still Flare stood his ground, with Soran looking up from the ground she lay on.

His knees hit the ground, unable to hold his weight anymore. Tears threatened to spill—but why was he crying? He had decided to stop crying, hadn't he? But it didn't matter anymore, he thought, dropping to his hands on the ground. It was enough, wasn't it?

Why did he feel so empty? He felt anger, anger towards himself, anger towards his own weakness and stupidity. Why didn't he have any feeling other than...nothing? The anger helped clear his mind, and he forced himself to get furious. His Pokémon were half-dead. He had been mocked, ridiculed, underestimated, and destroyed in battle. He was useless. He couldn't win. He couldn't fight. It was over before it had began.

"Stop it!"

Leo stopped, electricity fading from his fangs. Derek could see his Pokémon turn to him in bewilderment, but his eyes were only on Emily. His vision was clear, but he didn't know whether the tears had fallen or whether he had successfully held them back. All he knew was that the battle was over. It _had _to be over.

"I surrender. That's enough, isn't it?" he growled, forcing himself up into a shaky standing position. "I can't win. I lost, horribly. You keep your pride, you keep your prejudice, you keep your goal. Leave, go fight Michael, I don't care!"

Emily's foot moved forward, but she stopped herself. Her look was no longer amused or playful; it was deadly serious. "I see. You accept your loss?"

Derek nodded, swallowing down any pride or feeling he had. But there wasn't any. He still felt empty and cold inside. "Yeah. I lose."

The two Pokémon disappeared from sight, and without another word, Emily turned her back on the two boys. She turned her head towards Derek, a soft smile on her face. It was a true one, a gentle one. "Look, kid. I don't need money or anything. Just get your Pokémon to the Center in Blueland Town near here." She shrugged and turned her head again. "You never really stood a chance, anyway. Remember the name Emily Rose."

There was nothing to say as she walked away, fading into the darkness beyond. The full feeling finally hit him as she disappeared—the feeling of defeat. He had lost. There was no stopping the feeling of crushing failure, of absolute demise. He couldn't help the tears that overflowed and wet the ground, and couldn't care less that Damion was patting him on the shoulder, telling him it was all right.

It wasn't all right. She wasn't Michael or Aliana—she was a nobody, and yet he had lost. Risques were the only ones he could bear to lose to; they had the strength to knock him away with ease. But it wasn't just that. He, too, held the pride a Risque did. He, Derek Aaron Risque, had lost a match.

He had _lost_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I know Derek seems a bit emo even though he only lost one match, but look at it from this perspective: for ten years, you've been living in the shadow of your unbeatable siblings and family. They never lose. There's no such thing as losing to them. And then you lost, tainted the pride of your family, and just showed that you really _are _just the runt, the one who couldn't stand and walk next or past them, just as they thought.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed! =D Now I can finally give Derek some character development and some training incentives.**


	16. Warmth

Something was odd after that loss. Derek couldn't sleep, even when they were in the warm, welcoming arms of the Pokémon Center and Blueland Town. Food had to be forced down just because he knew it was necessary for him to survive with. Showers were only taken for the sake of being clean. Naps were only taken for the sake of closing off the world around him.

Training, though, was beyond him.

It was only one defeat, of course. And it had taken him a month to find the first opponent who could win against him. But he was Derek _Aaron_ _Risque_, the boy with two direct links in his name to his ancestors. His father, and his whole lineage, starting from the ever-famous Xyndra Risque, who had been one of the first few people to ever tame a Pokémon. That had been over a hundred years ago, and the children of Xyndra and Azala had always proven to carry on that power of blood.

But not him. He was the failure, just as he had always been, despite his efforts to deny it. One battle would be counted as life experience to anybody else, even Damion, who seemed to be the hero-type who never lost. For a Risque, though, a battle wasn't a challenge where you couldn't predict whether you would win or lose. Even if you weren't even trying, even if it was a halfhearted fight, you still _won_. Losing meant nothing. You gained nothing from defeat.

It was impossible for Derek to get past that. That one limitation—the fact that he was a Risque.

Envy filled him at the sight of how easily Damion could cope with his training, how easily he could adapt. Blueland Town was nothing but another place for him to train. Derek knew that Damion loved this life, this journey. And so every time Damion stopped to come back, to make sure he was all right, Derek couldn't help but lash out. That boy should go back to doing what he could do, that Derek couldn't no matter how hard he tried.

Disgust filled the young boy. Even looking at his reflection in the mirror horrified him. His blank, dark, blood red eyes, his pale skin, his ever so slightly frowning lips—they all only further showed how wrong he was, how dead he felt inside. Was this what a Risque was supposed to be?

He was pathetic. The truth hurt, but it still remained the truth. And despite knowing this, it couldn't help him stand up to face the world. The loss was fresh, the wounds were deep, and his resolve was broken.

Did it matter? He asked himself that. It wasn't like anybody had been depending on him to win. Damion's trust in him must have shattered. Chris' confidence had been ill-placed. Matthew's words had been pointless. Flint's advice had been useless. Michael was forever out of his reach, always a hundred steps ahead.

And Yuki a thousand.

Roaming the streets of Blueland Town did nothing to calm him, but it was all he could do. It was impossible to sit still in the Center, with the stifling feeling of being watched, with the constant concern of nurses who couldn't care less, who were only doing their job to make sure their client was all right. He was just another burden shoved onto them, and he was glad to leave them be, as long as they left him alone. The streets were clean and many houses were blue. Judging from the intricacy and sizes of the houses, the people were easily middle-to-high class citizens, perhaps not rich, but living well. The town was more of a city than anything else.

Without him realizing it, Derek found himself wandering in a park. A curse towards his own stupidity was lost on his tongue; after all, how could he hate himself for wanting to remember? Wanting to remember the times when he had been happiest, laughing beside Yuki, sleeping without worry or concern, and passing the days with happiness.

He leaned against a tree, letting himself slide to the ground. It sucked. Everything sucked. And there was no comfort from Soran, or Flare, or any of his faithful Pokémon; they were all healing in the Pokémon Center after the horrendous battles they had fought against Serin the Houndour and Emily Rose. The loneliness struck him hard and cold, like a fist to the stomach, like an icy hand clenching around his heart, like his blood itself freezing inside him.

There were no tears to shed. But somehow, he knew crying would have been better than the crushing depression inside him. He felt hollow and cold, his heart gone from inside his chest. Why was he so pathetic? Why couldn't he just accept that he had lost a single battle? Why was he _beating __himself up_?

"Mister? Are you okay?"

He looked up, but instantly regretted it. Delusional, he was. He had finally snapped. Yuki stood before him, just as she had three years ago, with a hand outstretched, her blue eyes glistening in the afternoon light. A concerned frown pulled at her lips, her eyes wide with worry. But her hair—her hair was odd. She wasn't blonde, like the image in front of him. The Yuki Derek knew had, and always had had, brown hair.

He wasn't dreaming. He wasn't imagining. There really was a girl standing before him. Without even thinking, he averted his eyes, knowing a child of her age and mentality would only be scared of someone like him. Reflections in passing windows and mirrors had shown more than well enough that, right now, his expression was enough to frighten and subdue a Houndoom.

"Leave me be," he mumbled, barely audible, barely comprehensible.

The girl, instead of leaving, simple cocked her head. "You wear belts, but no Poké Balls. Aren't you a Trainer?"

Derek felt himself shake. Something about her was only intensifying the pain and feeling of uselessness. His eyes began to sting with tears, but he blinked them back. "I don't deserve to be one."

"But that means you are one, right?"

He gazed at her out of the corner of his eyes. Her expression had changed from a frown to a wide smile, bright with innocence. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

She knelt in front of him, and he noticed that she was wearing a small dress. How uncomfortable, for her to kneel on the ground with bare knees. "Then where are your Poké Balls?"

"They're at the Pokémon Center. Healing the Pokémon inside."

"Did they battle?"

Derek nodded, unable to speak for a moment. "I lost. They did so well, but I couldn't win for them."

For a moment, there was silence. Derek couldn't help but turn, worried that even the little girl had abandoned him, that even a stranger like her was out of his reach. But then he felt the weight of her body against his chest, her tiny figure like a doll. She looked up from the jacket she held clutched in her small hands. Derek couldn't help but blink at her in confusion, but she only smiled. "Daddy said that when people are sad, you should make them feel better by holding them close to you."

Surprise. Fear. Self-loathing. They all were washed away by the strange warmth of the child. He forced out, "I-is that so? But didn't Daddy tell you not to talk to strangers?"

The girl shook her head, sending locks of blonde hair waving through the air. "He did, but Brother said that boys in red jackets and with red eyes are good!"

A jolt ran through him. Why would anybody in their right mind _ever _say that? "Who...is your brother?"

And then it hit him. He had to be an idiot not to see it before. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. No fear at all towards his red eyes. There was only one "Brother" he could think of that could possibly describe such a person.

The girl grinned. "Chris!"

-.-.-

"Is...that so," Derek managed, forcing a smile.

Richard laughed, slapping a hand to his knee. "It is, it is! Oh, but I guess since you met our son only recently, you wouldn't have ever guessed that, huh?"

Derek shook his head, only half-listening. "No, I wouldn't have."

It was, the least to say, awkward in the Lighthouse residence. One glance around the house showed adequate living conditions and a nice family atmosphere—something Derek couldn't relate to. The many gadgets and electronics indicated that if the researcher, Richard Lightwood, wasn't so obsessed with doing unpaid research, the family would have been quite wealthy. The house had three stories, just like the Risque manor in Pallet Town, though the Lightwood residence was noticeably smaller.

But there was something Derek had noticed: the backyard was huge, fenced off, and full of Pokémon of all sorts. He could hear the different noises from even inside, though they were muffled. There were all sorts of Pokémon, from Tauros to Miltank to even a Trapinch, though only one. He had even seen a trio of Electric Pokémon: a Raichu, Pikachu, and Pichu.

Still, despite all these interesting things, Derek couldn't help but want to leave and cry in a corner somewhere. He wasn't in the mood to pretend and laugh at a friend's house, just for the sake of making sure said friend's little sister didn't get disappointed. Nor was he in the mood to look around the house and see framed photos and awards won by Chris in either tournaments on his journey or in Trainer school, and feel the emptiness of never having had a "healthy" childhood.

The day he could refuse little girls begging him to follow them to their houses was farther away than he thought. He wondered if this was the effect of Damion's stalker issues rubbing onto him, or whether he was secretly a pedophile. Either way, it was a bad sign, and he was determined to rid himself of it.

"So, Derek, I heard that you're traveling with a boy named Damion?"

Derek nodded, his eyes flicking towards Serenity Lightwood, who, with her brown hair and hazel eyes, was easily distinguishable from the rest of the family. She laid a tray with a jug of milk, two empty cups, one cup filled with black coffee, and a plate of cookies, obviously freshly homemade. "Thank you," he said as quietly and respectfully as he could.

"You're quite welcome," she answered warmly, smiling at him. She was quite slender, a trait that showed in Lily and Chris, whereas Richard was more of a stocky, strong-built person. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which indicated that she either did a lot of housework and did it for comfort, simply did it out of habit or for fashion, or was a wilder-type of person.

Derek mentally slapped himself. A batch of warm cookies was enough to melt the ice between them all. How ironic, he thought, as he took one of them from the plate. And here he was, analyzing the woman kind enough to bake them, as if he were trying to find a way to beat her. Funny, really. He couldn't beat a Rattata in his current condition.

"So...where is Damion, anyway?" Serenity asked, sitting to Derek's right at the square table. She frowned at Lily across from her when she saw the child lick her fingers to free the melted chocolate. "Lily, you know better!"

The young girl smiled innocently in response, though she did get up and grab a tissue to rid the mess instead. Derek felt his eyes moisten threateningly, though he managed to wipe the gathering tears away and pull off a "just yawning" facade. How nice it was for Chris to have such a good family. A kind sister, unlike Jane. A wonderful mother, unlike Selena. An amusing father, unlike Aaron.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "He's probably off training. I...just left for some..." An awkward pause as he searched for the right word. "I guess fresh air."

Richard took a slow sip from his coffee, as if to stall for time to come up with an answer. When he set his cup down, he asked, "So Derek, I've been meaning to ask, but what _is _your last name? I don't recall hearing it from my son, so..."

It finally had to happen. Someone just _had _to ask the taboo question, the one question Derek could never answer no matter what he tried to think of. A lie was impossible, yet the truth was worse. And simply avoiding the question went against any morals and manners he had.

Worst case scenario.

In an attempt to stall for time, just as Richard had, he took one of the small cookies and nibbled on it slowly. His eyes scanned the table as he had nothing else to stare at while he tried to come up with an answer. There were multiple possible actions he could take, such as running from the house or pretending to choke and faint—but both were pathetic, even for him in his current spiritless state.

He chose the simplest, yet most efficient, path.

"Mr. Lightwood, I actually wanted to speak to you about something in private."

"I keep telling you, call me Richard," the man said, smiling. But still, he turned towards his wife and child with a look that clearly meant business. The mother nodded and led Lily out from the room, though Derek could hear the child's complaints from down the hall.

When silence returned to the living room, Richard gazed at Derek with a serious expression and asked, "Yes?"

Derek took a small sip of the milk, blinking as he realized it was Moomoo Milk. He didn't particularly dislike it, but it was extremely rich in flavor, which was a bit too much for him. Still, he couldn't stall forever. "Actually, I...uh..."

"First, I want to ask something."

Derek looked up, nodding respectfully to show he was listening.

"You seem very...tense. You can relax, you know. Did something happen to affect you?"

So Derek wasn't the only one playing the analysis game. This man, too, was a skilled player, though it was to be expected. No way would a man with dull senses become a researcher, a field in which only the most proficient and talented succeeded. It took an unpleasant two seconds to come up with how to speak the truth, yet also retain it. "I guess I'm just depressed after losing a battle."

"First loss?"

_He's way too damn perceptive_. "Yeah."

The man nodded, as if understanding perfectly. "My son acted very similarly the first time he lost a match, back in Trainer school."

Derek nearly scoffed at the statement. The laid-back, cool Chris getting depressed over losing a battle? Not likely. But what came out was, "Even a Trainer like him?"

"He was quite different when he was younger. He's only gotten as strong as he is because of failure, which helped him to see the true value of success."

Derek blinked. It was perfectly logical to see it that way...for an ordinary person. But what of when winning meant everything, and losing wasn't an option?

As if reading his thoughts, though, the man continued. "Of course, when you absolutely have to win, you've gotta try your best. But you can't blame yourself if you lose. And even if you do lose, you know you've tried, and if you're still alive at the end of the day, just train and try again later. The main thing is to just not back down." He smiled, as if he already knew everything about Derek's current feelings. But maybe he really, _actually_ did...? "You hear that?"

Warmth. A sudden heat blossomed in his chest, filling his whole body with a beautifully comfortable warmth. Maybe he wasn't ready to get back to training, but he realized now. He had been too dead-set on becoming a stronger Risque—when he should have been worrying about being a stronger Trainer.

It was such a nice feeling that he almost felt like smiling. "Thank you, Richard."

The man smiled at the boy. "Derek, I'd like to ask you to do me a favor."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Yeah, two-chapter story this time around. I don't think I've done any multi-chapter "arcs" yet, so I guess this is technically my first. Even though I didn't mean to in the beginning, and this just accidentally happened.**

**Either way, hope you enjoyed and I hope you'll review! I'm busy doing stuff in real life, but I've got reserve chapters, so I'll upload those in the meantime. Catch y'all later! (Pun intended.)  
><strong>


	17. The Handy Dandy Rare Candy

His hand rushed to his leg as he felt an unexplainable heat suddenly burn him. He fumbled for his pocket, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the ring Matthew had given him. But this wasn't the time, he told himself, and he forced himself to put on a more blank and curious expression.

Hoping the facade worked, Derek glanced up at Richard, eyebrow raised. "A...favor?"

The man nodded. He placed his hands on the table and pushed himself up, then walked past Derek and through a doorway. Derek watched as the man disappeared from sight, leaving him alone in the quiet room. Feeling a bit anxious, he distracted himself by simply glancing around at the various photographs and colored walls. But at least being alone gave him a chance to gaze at the ring.

It didn't look any different from normal. It was still the same old, dull bronze color, the engravings catching the light of the electric lamp above them. But for some reason, he felt an urge to put the ring on his finger, as if it would help light the way. To what, he didn't know, but the feeling was undeniable.

Undeniable, maybe, but that didn't mean he couldn't _deny _to wear it. He shoved it back in his pocket defiantly, almost feeling satisfied at having refused the ring. It wasn't like an evil tempting feeling, but for some reason, he didn't want to give Matthew the satisfaction of knowing that he had worn the ring. He frowned at how cliché the thing sounded, as if it were some story plot to _The Master of the Rings_. The ring in that story had given the newbie Trainer the ability to understand Pokémon and completely control them—like that would happen if he put on this ring.

Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Yet still Richard didn't come back. The faint sound of footsteps and clattering items was just barely audible in the distance, but other than that, Derek had no idea what Richard was doing. Vaguely, the boy wondered what Lily and Serenity were doing—not like it really mattered to him, but still.

After a while, he heard the approaching thud of walking. He turned, only to see Richard holding something in his hand. It was a snow white, and due to its glow, Derek had thought it was something metallic. But no; upon closer inspection, it was definitely a Berry.

"This is the Sol Berry," Richard said, breathing rather heavily. He looked tired, as though he had fought with his own house to get the Berry. "It's a mystifying little thing, I gotta say."

As Richard offered it to him, Derek took the Berry into his hand. It had the most amazing skin: soft and smooth, yet when he tried to apply a bit of force through his grip, he found it as hard as a rock. He held it for a while, judging the weight with his hand before deciding it was lighter than an Oran Berry. And the glowing white color of it was mystifying and entrancing, almost urging him to eat the Berry. Derek placed it on the table to avoid the temptation. "I've never heard of the Sol Berry before," he admitted.

"I wouldn't expect you to. It's the first of its kind, as far I know," Richard said, sitting back down in the chair opposite to Derek. The man laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them, gazing at the Sol Berry with a curious look. "So? What do you think?"

_Interesting question_, Derek thought. He treated Richard's words like a riddle, staring at the original image, yet looking past them and trying to find the trick. "I don't know what to think. It's definitely nothing I've ever seen before."

As if satisfied, the man nodded. "Yes. This is the byproduct of a little experiment I've been working on for quite the while."

"Hybrids?" Derek suggested halfheartedly.

Richard shook his head, the expression on his face showing his complete disgust towards the subject. "No, nothing like that. I've been working on something much more useful than that. Something that enhances a Pokémon's power simply by being eaten."

"Something edible that raises power?"

"Exactly."

Derek frowned, running a hand through his hair out of habit. There weren't many things that fit the criteria, though he knew a few. Pokéblocks, for one, and maybe Poffins. But there was one in particular that fit the bill exactly, yet wasn't well-known due to its rarity. It made perfect sense to be researching it.

With bated breath, he asked simply, "Rare Candies?"

"Bingo!" Richard grinned at Derek. "Rare Candies, yes! I've been studying them for a while, but they're awfully rare. Why, we don't even know what they're made of, so of course we have no idea where to find them."

_Rare Candies. Said to be a condensed potion that raises a Pokémon's level through its powers. Only rarely are these things ever found, but they are impossible to analyze due to their ridiculously complicated molecular structure. _Derek frowned. He had read all that before in a research paper on the effect of items on Pokémon strength, though something seemed to be missing. He knew that mixing Berries simply resulted in Pokéblocks (or Poffins), and never Rare Candies.

_Unless... _"Does this Sol Berry do something to a Berry mixture?"

"Again, bingo!" Richard cried out, his smile widening further. "Or at least, that's my assumption. I've tried it, but while I have succeeded in creating a single Rare Candy, it's faulty. It doesn't work on the Pokémon you've seen outside."

Derek blinked. "Are you saying that you want my Pokémon to see if the Rare Candy has any effect?"

Richard nodded. "Exactly. I mean, I know it's safe. I've eaten one myself with no negative outcomes, except maybe for a raw feeling in my mouth due to the horrible aftertaste." The man scowled, as if remembering something disgusting. "But really, if you can ask your Pokémon, rather than try to talk to these nearly wild Pokémon outside, perhaps I can guess at what I need to add to make it work."

It made sense, theoretically. Obviously a Pokémon should know what they need to make themselves stronger, right? But there was a single flaw in the plan that made Derek frown.

"Richard, I don't have my Pokémon with me right now. They're recovering."

It actually amused Derek to see the man's expression change from a smile to a sudden frown. Richard's lip twitched as he seemed to consider saying something, though his gaze was directed towards the table with a hand on his chin. After a while, he looked up and said simply, "Ah. I forgot."

Derek pushed himself up off of his chair, shrugging his shoulders slowly. His ears picked up on the soft sound of footsteps, making his eyes instinctively go towards their owner. "I should go check on them. They're...probably all right by now."

Though the man's expression was still a bit bemused, his eyes told Derek that he understood completely. "Gotcha. Just don't run out on me, Derek."

"Sure. Lily, wanna come?" he called out, watching the girl who had hid behind the doorway.

Her blue eyes widened. For a moment, the two stared at each other, though Derek could hear Richard taking a sip from his cup of coffee. Lily took a hesitant step forward, and when Derek motioned with his hand for her to hurry up, she basically ran to him with a smile. "Really?"

Derek nodded. "Sure, why not? I mean, it's not like you'll be a bother."

She gazed at him curiously, her wide blue eyes shining in the light. Derek wondered if she liked her older brother—well, okay, that was obvious. But how deep was that relationship? Was Chris a good brother to her, like Michael had been years ago? Was he a kind brother, like Aliana was a kind sister? Was he a strong brother? Was he a...

Before he knew it, his eyes had dropped to the ground and were holding back tears. But he forced a pointless smile towards Richard, beckoned to Lily for them to leave, and led them out of the house.

"We should find Damion," Derek said simply, staring at the sky to make sure he didn't start crying. He hated how weak he was, how easily the tears came whenever he remembered the old times. Maybe Damion's stupidity could calm him. He nodded, as if to reassure himself. "Yeah, let's go find him."

They searched the town for a while, passing by clothing stores and jewelry shops. The former interested Derek, as he had been wearing the same two outfits for quite the while. They were frayed, and the dirtiness never really seemed to disappear, even after washing them. Still, he continued on without stopping. He would bring Damion along if they were going to get some new clothes to wear for the journey.

When they passed the park where they had met, Derek couldn't help but be amused by Lily's happy-go-lucky attitude. She was an innocent kid, he had to say, what with the bouncing step she took when she walked and the smile that he almost always saw on her face. Add in her playfulness and you had a cute little sister, unlike the idiot Derek had been stuck with.

Chris sure was a lucky asshole.

It literally took Derek half an hour to realize that Damion wasn't the type to train in normal places like parks or plains. They had gone through every park Lily could remember, passed the small Trainer school that had a field for mock battles, even checked inside the Pokémon Center (and picked up Derek's Poké Balls at the time), but they still couldn't find Damion. Then Derek remembered Damion's personality, and immediately turned to the town's entrance.

And to nobody's surprise, there he was, training on the rocky fields that suited no one. Derek frowned at the choice of location, as it was a horrible place to try and train. The numerous rocks in the ground would hurt a Pokémon's feet, and there were nearly no trees or anything to test enclosed training, either. It was a bad place for open training and it was impossible to do closed training, yet this was the place Damion chose.

Typical.

Derek stared at the Pokémon for a moment as Damion, completely oblivious to the two people watching him, trained them. He directed his Spearow, Bulbasaur, and Wooper so calmly and well that Derek almost felt jealous. The latter two Pokémon followed his commands without complaint, but Sorari leered at the boy and let out an irritated "_Spear_!"

"Oh c'mon Sorari, can't you just listen to me for once?" Damion begged, his voice unnaturally high. "I mean, I want to show Derek our new formation so that he can—"

"So I can drool over you like an idiot because you're doing so well in training? Yeah, right," Derek scoffed, leaning against one of the trees.

"Derek!" Damion exclaimed, grinning. He left his Pokémon to their own devices without hesitation and rushed towards them, hopping from foot to foot lightly with a springing step. His eyes turned to Lily, his expression displaying his confusion. "Who's the girl?"

Derek glanced at Lily, who blinked back innocently. With a soft motion of his hand, he told her, "Well, might as well introduce yourself."

She nodded and looked up at Damion. A polite smile replaced the amused look on her face as she said, "Hello, Damion! My name's Lily."

Damion blinked, obviously surprised she knew his name. However, he quickly recomposed himself, and bent down on his knees so that they could look each other in the eye. "Hey! I'm Damion; nice to meet ya!"

The two continued to smile at each other for a few moments, making Derek wonder who would back out first. But before he could start making guesses, Lily backed off, returning to Derek's side. The smile disappeared into a look of curiosity. "Is something wrong, Dare?"

"Dare?" Derek repeated, baffled. One look at her face told him that if she wasn't allowed to call him "Mister," then she was going to call him "Dare." It surprised him, though; the only other person who had ever given him a nickname was Yuki. "Well, uh...not really, no."

Feeling awfully awkward for some reason, he turned to Damion with a bemused expression. "Well, uh... Sorry for making you worry, I guess."

"Hm? About what?"

_This guy doesn't even remember anything until you smack him in the face with it! _Derek held back a soft growl. "Nothing. And if you haven't been able to tell from the eyes and hair, she's Chris' little sis."

For a moment, there was silence. Damion simply turned to him curiously, his face frozen in the smile he had been wearing for quite a while now. Then the second passed and it changed to a look of shock mixed with amazement. His eyes flickered between Derek and Lily in a cartoon-like fashion, as if unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

"B-but th-that can't—what!"

"Shocking, isn't it?" Derek said with a complete lack of emotion. His tone quieted Damion, who had obviously caught the sarcasm of the statement. Derek sighed, then turned towards Lily again. The girl was still staring at him. "Something on my face?"

She shook her head, instead grabbing his shirt lightly with a small hand. Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, though she constantly turned her head to look to her left. Derek followed her gaze, unsurprised by the fact that Damion's Pokémon were to that side, still training with each other. "Oh. You want to see if they'll play with you?"

She nodded, smiling again.

"Well, you don't have to be so quiet about it." For a second, he hesitated, but instinct won him over. He put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, just like Michael had done to him back when he had been five. "You're eight already, and a big girl; just speak up, 'kay?"

The girl beamed. "'Kay!"

She ran off towards the Pokémon, though she slowed down when she got near them. Her walk was slow and careful, which earned her the wary trust of Solar and the complete trust of Swift. Sorari seemed to ignore her, instead perching on a tree branch way in the distance. Soon enough, though, she was dancing alongside the Wooper and playing jump rope with the Bulbasaur's Vine Whip.

Derek sighed, though mostly with an exasperated amusement. He allowed himself to slide down to the ground and rest his head against the trunk, feeling exhausted for some reason. His eyes closed as he reflected on his time with the Lightwoods. Maybe it was the whole thing with Richard; the advice he had received was still buzzing in his head.

At the sound of a thud next to him, he opened an eye. Out of the corner of that eye he could see Damion had sat next to him, also leaning against the tree. There was a momentary silence that neither was willing to break, though Derek felt that he should. But it was a nice atmosphere, watching Lily play with the Pokémon and having the sun shine so brightly in the sky. It would have been a great day for a picnic.

Finally, though, Damion broke the silence. "You feeling better?"

"Unfortunately." It was the best he could come up with. "I guess I just noticed that it's pretty pointless to be depressed over just one loss."

He heard Damion's clothes rustle, presumably due to him shrugging. "It's not like it's easy to lose. I mean, I felt really bad after I lost to you back in March."

Derek was slightly amused by that. "I told you, I cheated in that one. So just get over it."

"You didn't cheat. I just didn't see that one coming. My fault for wetting the ground."

"Well , you _did _manage to trip Soran up." Derek watched as Lily hugged Solar, receiving a Vine Whip embrace in return. It reminded him a bit of all the times Yuki had hugged Soran back in the past. He sighed, pushing aside the memory and returning to the conversation. "I didn't see that one, so I pretty much deserved it."

Chuckling from the other boy. "We sound like old grandpas, talking about the past like this. But that means we've got a lot to talk about, huh?"

"Geez, what do you take me for? I'm no talkative person, if you haven't noticed," he grumbled. "Besides, what happened to your training? Is it all right to be interrupted by one little girl?"

"I guess they deserve a break."

"Sorari and Serin haven't done anything yet." He paused. "Where is Serin, anyway?"

Damion held a hand out to Derek, holding the the Houndour's Great Ball. "Right here. She won't listen to anything I say, at all."

Somehow, that wasn't hard to imagine. Yet it gave him an idea of sorts. Derek dusted himself off and forced himself into a standing position. He called out to Lily, who came to him immediately, her face a bit pink from running around. "Ready to head back?"

"Already?" she asked, pouting.

"Sorry," he said. "I know you wanna keep playing, but we gotta go do some stuff. We're busy Trainers, after all."

Damion stood up beside him. "Really? I don't think we're _that _busy."

"Well _I _am," Derek snapped, turning to glare at him. Damion shrank under his look, so Derek turned back to Lily, frowning slightly. "Yeah. Well, let's get back to your dad for the time being, anyway."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Look, I wanted to end this arc this chapter as well, but I hit my 3000 word limit earlier than expected. So yeah, you're stuck with this. I can't even say for sure I'll be able to end the arc next chapter, either. But since not much goes on that time around, I suppose I (probably) can.**

**Okay, now I hate answering reviews in author's notes, as I've previously explained, but you blocked PMs! I can't respond to you then! But thank you so very much, Fire'sFly, for reviewing LS,R! and LM,R! It really meant a lot to get some real good constructive criticism all in one neat package, so I'll definitely follow your advice. On the thing about Derek not looking for Yuki, I didn't even really realize that, so thanks a lot for pointing that out. (Strange, considering that's the whole point of this journey, right?)**

**Now, excuse me as I go finish rewriting the rewritten chapters of the rewritten Lost Memories. (Inception, much?)**


	18. A Reason to Fight

Derek glanced out the window, watching as Damion and Lily played together. It was amusing, really, how well they fit each other. The childish grins, the happy laughs, the light bounce of their steps, the way they spoke; it was pretty similar, really. And their feelings towards Pokémon were practically identical: Pokémon are friends. They are equals. They are people.

Well, that was great and all, but it wasn't like he enjoyed holding Serin's Great Ball.

It was with a sense of exasperation that he rolled his Poké Balls around in his hand. Adding Serin's, there were a total of six, and each glistened in the dim light coming in from the window he was leaning against. He sighed and, with a light flick of his finger, tossed one of the Poké Balls into the air. Out popped Flare, who gazed up at Derek with a defiant look.

"You want to fight Emily again?" Derek asked, scowling when the Charmander nodded. "No way. We'd get killed."

"Char! Charmander, mander char!"

Vaguely, he understood the Pokémon. Probably due to the tone of his voice, but it was still more than Derek could have expected. "Calm down." He scratched his cheek and gazed up at the white ceiling. "I'm...not really in the mood to train, really."

"_Char_!"

"I'm not!"

The two blinked at each other, obviously confused by the each other's reactions. Derek cocked his head, a strange feeling of understanding feeling him. He had _definitely _understood that Flare had just called him a coward, though he wasn't sure how he knew. The word _destiny _was starting to lose its meaning, but it was really the only word that explained anything.

"Oi, Flare—"

He stopped as he heard the door open, spilling light into the rather dark room. The window Derek was leaning against was shaded, so it didn't really let much light into the shadowy room, and Flare's tail cast ghastly shadows across the room, but the outside lights of the hallway lit up the floor and walls. Before he could see anything other than tables filled with Berries and papers scattered on the ground, though, the door clanged shut behind Richard.

"Hey, didn't I tell you to turn on the lights?" he asked curiously. Derek could vaguely see his shadowed figure moving, his head turning and seeming to look for something. "Ah, here it is."

As Derek returned Flare to his Poké Ball, the sound of a switch snapped through the room, followed by a sudden burst of light. Derek winced. Put together the bright light, the equipment in the room, and Flare and you had a scene pretty similar to his time in Professor Oak's laboratory. Derek's eyes searched the rather large room, judging a size of fifty-by-fifty feet, with tables and machines all around. After tucking the Poké Balls onto his belt in random positions, he walked over towards Richard and picked up one of the Berries that rested on a table. Lazily, he waved it in Richard's face pointedly.

"Sure, you can eat it," Richard said, shrugging. "I've got a bunch of them."

"Thanks," Derek mumbled. He sank his teeth into the Pecha Berry, tasting the sweet juices that spilled into his mouth. A sigh escaped him as he swallowed the bite down. "So? Is that—" He motioned towards the most noticeable machine: a sort of conveyer belt that led into the wall of the room, where a computer and slot-like hole were. "—your Rare Candy machine?"

Richard nodded, placing one of each of the Berries that lay on the tables around them onto the conveyer belt. Derek studied the contraption, following the belt's layout into the wall. With his hand, he managed to figure out the basic shape of the machine, though how it functioned was beyond him. The hole the conveyer belt led into and the small slot underneath the computer screen on the wall seemed to be connected, but when Derek stuck his hand in, he only felt a bunch of wires and strange things that felt sort of like metallic pencils.

"Mind turning on the screen for me?"

Derek shrugged, turning to it. He pressed the power button in the bottom right corner with his empty hand, and almost instantly, the screen flickered into life with charts of information and graphs of efficiency levels. Most of it was pretty complex, but the concept itself was simple enough: it simply displayed details on how much of each Berry would be needed for experiment "R.C. PROTOTYPE," as well as the input and output levels of the machine itself.

"All right!" Richard exclaimed, making Derek turn towards him. He had already placed Berries onto the conveyer belt of all sorts, ranging from Oran Berries to a Lum Berry. Derek spotted the Sol Berry amongst several others. "Now, press the start button on the screen, please!"

"Touch screen?" Derek wondered aloud, pressing the option with a finger. Immediately, the walls around them seemed to vibrate, and a whirring sound surrounded them, like the sound of a fan multiplied by a hundred. He couldn't help but be impressed as the conveyer belt started moving, followed by the sounds of what seemed to be blades. "Not bad," he admitted.

"Right?" Richard said, beaming like a child. "Just wait a minute or two, and a Rare Candy should pop out of that hole over there."

"Is that so?" He took another bite from the Berry he was holding, his eyes analyzing the information on the screen. One of the input/output levels had dropped dramatically, and judging from the name of it ("BLADE"), he supposed it was due to its non-usage. In contrast, the overall efficiency of "FORM" had increased. "I guess this machine uses a set level of energy or something, so when one function is stopped, the others use that energy?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of," Derek repeated. "Cool."

After a few minutes of waiting and eating, the sound began to fade. It was instead replaced by a sound of clunking metals, though that, too, eventually changed to silence. Something rolled inside of the walls, dropped from some platform to another, and then slipped into the slot underneath the computer screen.

Derek picked it up, unimpressed by the tiny thing. It was the size and shape of a jawbreaker, though a hundred shades colored its skin. Between his fingers, it felt cool yet burning hot, hard yet soft, like the Sol Berry. He turned towards Richard and handed it to the man.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Huh." Derek frowned at it. "I was expecting something more, honestly."

"Really? It's pretty amazing that this even has a solid shape. Most of the original Rare Candies were sort of mushy." Richard scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, as if remembering unpleasant memories. "But anyway, this is the Rare Candy I have developed. Isn't it amazing?"

"I guess," Derek said. No matter how he looked at it, it still looked like an ordinary candy. "I guess I should call out a Pokémon, then?"

"Please do."

Right on cue, Soran's Poké Ball burst open, casting a flash of white light through the room. She materialized on Derek's shoulder, yawning in his ear. Her fur was ruffled, as if she had just woken up from a nap—though he supposed she _would _have been sleeping after that battle with Emily.

"Hey," Derek said softly, patting her on the head with a hand. She rubbed her cheek against his palm lightly and licked the remainder of the Pecha Berry juice off of his hand. He took the Rare Candy from Richard and offered it to her. "Mind eating this for us, Soran?"

"An Eevee," Richard whispered, his voice amazed. "Remarkable, really."

"Ee," Soran said simply. She leaned forward and took the candy into her teeth, then proceeded to snap it in half with her jaws. Derek couldn't help but flinch at the sudden _crack_.

For a while, the two humans watched as Soran chewed down the Rare Candy. It felt like an eternity, but she seemed to be enjoying the flavor of it, at least to Derek's eyes. He pulled her off his shoulder and held her in his arms, stroking her fur lightly.

One swallow later, he asked, "Well? Feel any different?"

Soran gazed up at him, her ears twitching. "Ee, Eevee."

"Stronger?"

"Ee!"

"It works, then," Derek concluded, turning his gaze towards Richard. "I don't know, though; what's this whole research thing for? I've heard Rare Candies improve the performance of a Pokémon, but I don't really get why you would need that."

Richard didn't answer for a moment, instead walking past Derek and switching off the computer screen and the machine. He then sat on one of the tables lightly, staring out the window. Derek followed his gaze, noting with amusement that Damion and Lily were literally dancing with each other.

When the adult finally answered, he spoke in a question. "Derek, are you the type who prefers to get things through hard work?"

Derek blinked. "Um...I suppose?"

"Have you ever had a goal?"

_Yuki_, he immediately thought. The certainty of his own mental answer shocked him. "I have."

"Then do you know how it feels to be able to accomplish that goal? The satisfaction, but also the strange emptiness you feel after having finally succeeded?"

Derek considered that for a minute. Had he ever actually succeeded in anything to be able to answer that? Of course he had: he had trained his Pokémon. He had won Gym battles. He had fought and won, he had tried and lost, and he had done what he could. "Isn't that better than losing, at least? I'd rather feel satisfaction than disappointment."

Richard smiled. "That's a fair point. But when you fail, you want to do better than before. It gives you a reason to continue, to strive forward. That's why all people need to lose at some point, or else they can never appreciate winning. Do you understand that?"

He frowned. Unfortunately, he did. "I do."

"Then what's your goal, Derek?"

The answer to that was obvious, of course. He had to find Yuki. But it dawned on him—had he actually ever _searched _for her? Had he been unknowingly just been having fun with Damion, becoming a Trainer, not even _trying_? It hit him with a cold feeling to the stomach. What really was his goal, anyway?

"Self-satisfaction," Richard said simply. "That's a horrible thing, but it's what all humans want. Derek, look at yourself. Why did you become a Trainer? Was it for glory? For fame? For money? For adventure?"

"For a friend," Derek said, his mind buzzing. He held a hand to his head, suddenly feeling dizzy. "I need...to become a Trainer...for my friend...?"

"Who?"

Derek blinked. Who was it, really? Was it really for Yuki? Or was he just trying to satisfy himself and his own weakness? He had felt confined at Setsora-_ojisan_'s house. He had nowhere to go, no one to go to. He had been lost, alone, and frightened.

But he had a friend, didn't he? Yuki would always be out there...

"Ah." That was all he could say when the words of Richard finally hit him. "_Ah_. I get it, now."

"Do you?" Richard smiled. "Tell me, then."

"I am a Trainer because I have friends." Derek gazed down at Soran, who stared back with a look of approval. "My Pokémon are some of them. But Chris, too. And Damion. They're all my friends. And..."

He paused. Why was he really training? He had friends who had suggested it to him. Even Yuki had, back when they had been kids. Was he doing it for that reason? Or was it for Chris, who had held high expectations? Maybe it was to prove to Flint that he was strong enough, and Brock that he didn't need to be a Risque to win. Matthew, too, was hoping to see him grow, right? And of course there was Damion, who was always there next to him, always supporting him from the side.

"And I want to be a Trainer. That's why I'll be one. Not just because I have someone waiting for me, but because this is something I want to do myself."

"Great!" Richard clapped his hands together, beaming at Derek as if he had just won the lottery. "Perfect! Self-satisfaction is selfish, but it's definitely necessary. You need that resolve, Derek, if you want to beat Emily Rose next time."

"How do you know about her?" Derek asked, confused.

"Damion," Richard answered simply.

"Figures," Derek muttered.

"Either way, I can tell you have another goal, other than just being a great Trainer. But—"

"It's all right, Richard." Derek ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh. He gazed at the man with a grateful look. "She'd understand that I need to go through this, anyway. Even if I went to find her, she'd just laugh at me for being so weak. That's why I'll cooperate with Damion, become a stronger Trainer, and then search for her."

"It's just a matter of time, right?"

A searing pain burned at his leg, but Derek simply slipped his hand into his pocket and clenched the ring tightly. He nodded towards Richard. "It's just a matter of time."

-.-.-

Or, so he had thought.

"Derek, you all right?" Damion asked worriedly, casting glancing towards the boy next to him.

Derek sighed. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about crap. Don't forget to buy some of those grains for bread, later."

"Right, right."

He sat down on one of the benches as Damion rushed off into the store, letting himself rest for a bit. His head was still spinning with the whole conversation he had had with Richard; even after leaving the Lightwoods behind, he couldn't forget all of the stuff he had said.

None of it had been lies, of course. Yuki _would _tell him to get stronger. After how they had been parted, it would be ridiculous to try and find her when he couldn't even beat someone like Emily Rose. No, he'd have to get stronger—for her and himself. And it wasn't like he wasn't training for his friends, too. He would hate to disappoint any of them, especially not Damion.

Derek blinked. Since when had he started to care about Damion, anyway?

His train of thought had just resolved when his arm began jerking. Surprised, he turned to it, only to see the Pokétch on his left wrist vibrating. It took him a while to realize that he was receiving a call, since he had never actually used the phone function of the Pokégear technology installed into the watch. He gazed at the screen, reading off "Chris" as the caller ID, and pressed one of the buttons to accept the call.

"Yo," came a voice.

"Chris?"

"Yours truly."

Derek stared at the screen of his Pokétch, wishing it had been a video call. After all, he was pretty sure that was another one of his watch's capabilities. "This is the first time you've called me, no?"

"It is," Chris agreed. "Anyway, Derek, how're you doing? Where's Damion?"

"Shopping. We're in Blueland Town, met your family, all that stuff."

"Blueland Town?" Chris repeated. "That's cool. But wait a minute—why are you in Blueland Town? Shouldn't you be on the way to Vermilion City by now?"

"Uh, about that." Derek fidgeted slightly. "We came to resupply and heal our Pokémon."

"Did one of you lose a match?"

_Does perceptiveness run in the family or something? _"...Me."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two, where neither was really willing to talk. Derek distracted himself by staring at the sky, marveling at how blue it was—anything to make sure he wasn't think about how badly he lost to Emily Rose.

Then, Chris said, "Good for you." His voice was genuine, without sarcasm. He had probably reached the same conclusion as Derek and Richard: that losses were necessary.

"Thanks," was all Derek could come up with to say. "I guess you're going towards the Indigo Plateau now?"

"Yep. Be sure to watch me in two weeks, all right?"

"Gotcha. I'll tell Damion, too."

"So if you're in Blueland Town," Chris began, "you've passed Pewter and Cerulean, right?"

"Two Badges for both of us, yeah."

"Congrats, you two." His voice sounded as if he were smiling to himself. "Oh, by the way, do you know the name of the one you battled?"

"Uh, yeah. Emily Rose."

There was an exclamation of shock and the unmistakable sound of somebody crashing to the ground. Derek winced, holding his arm a bit further away from himself. When Chris' voice came back, it was rushed and panicky. "Are all your Pokémon all right? No deaths? No permanent injuries? No—"

"They're fine, they're fine!" Derek said, glancing around the street. Several people were casting strange looks at him, making him sigh. "Geez. What, is she that infamous?"

"More than that. Why would she be in Kanto...and near Blueland Town, no less?"

He thought about that for a moment. The memory was pretty hazy, considering how much he tried to suppress how badly he had gotten his Pokémon hurt. But the full memory of the night came crashing down on him, and with a tone of curiosity, he said, "I'm pretty sure she said...that she was looking for Mi—Champion Michael." It took all he could to resist spitting out those words.

"Champion Michael, huh?" Chris remained silent for a few moments, as if thinking about something. Derek heard the faint sounds of static and sounds of conversation from people around him, though Chris' end seemed awfully quiet. "Well, all right. Give Damion my regards, all right?"

"Sure. See you on TV."

"You'll see me win, all right," Chris said, his voice as confident as could be. "See ya."

The call disconnected, leaving Derek staring at the shop Damion had walked into. It was a basic convenience store, making Derek wonder whether Damion was buying instant foods again or something. The glass was reflecting the light of the sun, making it impossible to see through from the outside.

Still, when Damion came walking back through the door of the shop, Derek couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. They were partners, after all. They needed to stick together. He accepted the hand Damion offered him and pulled himself back into a standing position.

"Ready to go?" Damion asked, grinning.

"Of course."

Of course he was ready to go. Who wouldn't be ready to go to their future with a friend in hand?

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Okay, that's the best excuse I could come up with to keep Derek on the League circuit for now. Sorry for sucking at making excuses!**

**Also, it's March 5th here in Korea, so everybody congratulate Damion on his birthday! (Not like it affects him in-story, but still, lol.) And yes, I'm pretty much only updating today because it's March 5th.**

**Thanks for the reviews, and thanks for reading at all! =)**

**[Note: I've finally been reunited with my co-writer, Ikitsumi, so _hopefully_ you'll all be receiving much more plot-filled chapters from now on, rather than the simple foreshadowing I've been doing up until now. Hurrah!]**


	19. Road Training

A new resolution meant a new training regime. A new training regime meant new, more powerful Pokémon. And new, more powerful Pokémon meant evolution—for both the Pokémon and the Trainers themselves.

Training had never really occurred to Derek. He had always been battling believing that it was completely up to him to win the battles; the thought that—if he didn't train his Pokémon then they wouldn't be strong enough to win—really hadn't struck him until his training with Damion. He realized how much his partner trained his Pokémon and how much time he devoted to their health and condition. If Derek were to be honest, he felt a bit guilty towards his Pokémon for having been such an irresponsible Trainer. Either way, it had been his fault that they had lost to Emily Rose.

Still, from then on, he would redeem himself. There would never be a moment he wasn't going to be working on improving himself, he decided. If it meant reading on the road and relearning everything he had forgotten (which actually wasn't all that much), then so be it. If it meant studying his Pokédex at night by the campfire, then so be it. If it meant training throughout the day, staying up all night, through blazing infernos, raging storms, or icy blizzards, then so be it.

If it meant he would win the next time he battled Emily Rose, then it was worth it.

Training was separated into three sections: power, technique, and speed. Most of the time, they were practicing speed as they traveled down the path to Vermilion City, but they often stopped around fields or plains and practiced the other two. It showed both Trainers how much they could improve and what they needed to improve in, such as reaction time, battle strategies and tactics, and most importantly, effective battling skills.

As it turned out, Flare and Swift had the most control of their abilities. The two had constantly been helping in ordinary jobs like cleaning with Water Guns, or starting small campfires or cooking fires with an Ember, so it was to be expected. Plus, Flare was also constantly sharpening his claws so as to easily slice through the Oran Berries Derek tossed him to slice up, which probably explained his precision with his Flame Slashes.

The worst off were Sorari, Aurora, and Kutsune. Sorari constantly refused to accept Damion's commands when they weren't in an actual battle, making training rather difficult. The same applied to Kutsune, though one look at Flare's ignited claws was enough to persuade her to begin String Shot maneuverability training.

And of course, Aurora.

There wasn't really much Derek could do about her. It was clear as crystal that the Transport Pokémon was in no condition to battle, both physically and mentally. With her depression over losing her Trainer, it was nigh impossible to even have the heart to command anything of her, and with her slow movements and weak attacks, Derek even contemplated whether or not her previous Trainer had actually ever used her for battle. In the end, the most he could do for her was to try and keep her happy. He would try this by playing games, showing her interesting things, getting her to talk to the other Pokémon, and really, just make sure she was opening up. Every time she pulled back or shied away, he reeled her back in with an assuring (though fake) smile. Soran was extremely useful for this, as she was the most outgoing of the group.

Over the course of the two weeks they took to travel, the two boys learned a lot from each other. Despite their completely different battling styles, or rather, _because _of that difference, they were able to give and take from each other different battling techniques and skills. Derek learned from Damion's ingenuity, making combos he had never thought of and learning to use the opponent's own movements against them. Damion learned strategy, tactics, and different ways of dealing with certain Pokémon types or species. Both Trainers knew that the best way to utilize and test these new skills was to battle, but they refused to battle each other in an unspoken agreement. The next time they battled, it would be for the title of Champion.

Still, that didn't stop them from working harder towards their goals. With Damion's sincerity and Derek's knowledge, they managed to make new, more healthy foods, though they both realized how much they sucked at cooking when they set the fields on fire. They mixed Berry after Berry with each other, creating some kind of Berry form of Aprijuice, or a liquid form of Pokéblocks. Meal after meal was improved, not just for taste (which was pretty important to them), but for healthiness as well.

Sadly, this _did _have its bad points. Every meal was a new one and thus completely different from the one before it. Meaning, they had no idea what it would taste like until they finished it. They hit an all time low when Derek tried freezing the Oran-Pecha juice they had made with Aurora's Ice Beam, resulting in some sort of strange blob of half-frozen, half-gooey mix, rather than the small and portable ice cube treats he had been aiming for.

It was the most difficult time as a Trainer they had yet experienced. Yet for Derek, it was also the most fun. Every challenge was accepted with a sense of joy; after all, it meant he was walking down the path of a Trainer step-by-step. Eventually he would have to reach the end, so it was just a test of patience. Besides, the pressure of being a Risque had passed after Richard's advice, so he accepted his loss and strove to learn from it.

It really was all just a matter of time.

Trainer battles had become more common for them. The new League year was getting closer, as it started the day after the League ended. This year, it was May 6th. Because of this, a few more Trainers were leaving their homes a bit early, though Derek knew for a fact that most would wait in front of their televisions to watch the battles. He himself wanted to get to Vermilion quickly to watch Matthew's and Chris' battles.

After two battles each with strangers on the roads, Derek and Damion had begun to get the feel for actual battle. They had both only just won their battles, which made them realize how lucky they were to have even received _two _Gym Badges. If Derek were to be brutally honest, he would have to wonder about the leniency of the Gym Leaders they had battled.

For those two weeks, they were constantly observing each other. In battle, in skill, in aptitude, in emotion—it was there way of making sure they were getting better, and in a way, a competition of sorts. They didn't write actual scores or anything, but the advice they gave to each other was more than enough to see who was actually improving and who was better at training. Derek had never felt the need for competition, but with Damion's bright and happy attitude, he couldn't help but be dragged in.

Several things came out of training. First was, surprisingly, Kutsune's evolution. It had been in the middle of a training session, with Derek trying to see which combination of his Pokémon was best for a double battle. Something between Kutsune and Soran must have sparked the chain of events that occurred: a scuffle between the two, Flare having to push them apart from each other, Zorro zapping everyone unconscious, Aurora instinctively freezing everyone in place with Psychic and Ice Beam alike, and finally, the trigger being pulled. Kutsune began to glow and change form, from a small pink Caterpie to a big pink Metapod.

Second was something that Derek noticed about Flare. He was easily the strongest Pokémon Derek had on his team, bar maybe Soran. But there was something else about the Charmander that interested Derek. Not just his strength, his unique Flame Slash ability, or his extreme sense of leadership; it was the fact that he could understand and actually write the human language in complete words or sentences as well as translate it to Japanese. The Charmander, Derek noticed, also held back in training as if worried about something. It had only taken Derek two more training sessions with the Charmander to come to the decision that after he became a Charizard, he would probably be too strong for his own good.

Third was probably the greatest fruit of their tree of labor. It had been after one week that Derek, in the middle of his second battle, realized he had begun to like battling. There was no sense of duty here, no fake motivation, or anger. Instead, he had just doing it for the heck of it. Sure there was the proposal of beating Emily, but he had time—he had realized that in the first week. He was finally becoming something that, as a Trainer, he had lacked: the will to _be _a Trainer.

It was the night he had realized this that while they had been setting up camp, Damion had said to him, "Derek, do you ever miss home?"

Damion had posed an interesting question, one that took Derek time to answer. "By home, do you mean where I was born, or where I lived before?"

"Isn't home the place where you most want to be?"

Derek felt a slight amusement at that. "Then wouldn't I always want to be at home?"

His remark made Damion blink, then blush in embarrassment. "Right, right. Well, do you miss what happened in the past?"

He took a minute to think about that, tossing the Oran Berry and an empty bowl to Flare for their sandwiches. Instantly, Derek received a bowl filled to the brim with the tiny cubes, which he mixed in with the other ingredients. It wasn't until he was actually putting the mix onto the bread that he said, "I suppose so."

Damion smiled, holding a jug he had recently filled with some water. Another thing they had learned: Aurora's Water Gun water was extremely bad for drinking as it was, in some way, acidic, but her Ice Beam was 100% pure water. "Is that why you always look at the moon at night?"

Suddenly, the sandwiches were a lot more interesting to look at than Damion's eyes. "Mmph," Derek grumbled, taking a bite to taste the sandwiches. They were probably one of the best meals they had made yet, so he added the name and recipe to the notebook they had been using for foods that had gotten a passing grade. "What, you're still watching me at night?"

Damion simply laughed the sarcastic question off, and they spent a good night discussing plans on their battle against Lt. Surge in the Vermilion Gym, as well as joking about their different Pokémon behaviors. Perhaps it was the decent food that was really lightening the mood, but there were no complaints there.

When he got down to the point, though, Derek had never really noticed Damion was watching him all the time. Not in a creepy way, so to speak, though he insisted on teasing the boy about it, but in a gentle and sincere way. Damion was always thinking about other people rather than his own welfare, which made Derek wonder just how the boy had been brought up.

The thing about watching the moon, though. That had been true. Whenever he saw the moon, whether it be full or new, it always brought memories back to him. Once upon a time, he may have tried to block them out and push them back into the far depths of his mind, but now he embraced them. It was another thing that led him forward and kept him moving on. Besides, Yuki would have hated him for trying to forget her.

When they weren't traveling, battling, training, cooking, or setting up camp, Derek was usually studying things on his Pokédex. As a child, he had always been thinking about how pointless it was to memorize statistics when you could just pull out a Pokédex. How wrong he had been. In the heat of battle, it was practically impossible to find the time to manage to so much as glance at something other than the battlefield, let alone read off charts and diagrams. He struggled to bring back information he had learned in the past, and in the few cases where he failed, he simply restudied that topic or Pokémon.

Other than just Pokémon, he was also studying Gym Leaders and the region of Kanto itself. He and Damion were relatively fast travelers, having gotten two Badges in two months, but it didn't mean they were the fast_est_. The Pokédex had limited knowledge on anything past actual Pokémon, but with the collective information of maps, Trainer guides, and his own personal knowledge and theories, it was safe to say that he would be able to figure out faster paths through the routes.

Lt. Surge, known as _Matis_ to speakers of the Japanese language, and sometimes referred to as _The Lightning American_, would be their opponent in Vermilion City. Judging from past records of Trainers who had battled him, and the number of Trainers actually having received Gym Badges, it was safe to say that this would be, by far, their toughest opponent yet. The percentage of Trainers who had won their battles was a horribly low 38% from what Derek could gather. The Gym Leader's infamous reputation was followed by many people speaking of how cruel and powerful he and his Pokémon were. Furthermore, his specialty, Electric-types, was a difficult type to deal with, having only the one weakness of Ground.

Derek looked up a few Pokémon in his Pokédex and jotted down some information in his own personal guide. While he didn't really have a name for it, Damion insisted on referring to it as the "Derek's Guide to Successful Adventures," which had a pretty lame ring to it. Still, it served its purpose, and held information on every Pokémon they had encountered so far, ranging from his very first meeting with Soran to Damion's most recent battle with the Trainers they had met on the road. He wrote down information on Raichu and Magneton, leaving three pages for each Pokémon, just in case he had more to add.

He twirled the pencil around his fingers out of habit. Electric Pokémon were generally quite fast, but he had heard mostly about Lt. Surge's brute force rather than quick sweeping. Electricity needed to be generated before being released, but Pokémon with a lot of battle experience are quicker to generate power. Plus, Pokémon such as Raichu and Magneton had massive amounts of electricity at their disposal, and he knew firsthand that a member of the Magnet Pokémon species can devour the electricity from surroundings and use it at their disposal. So their main problem would be dealing with powerful electric attacks while trying to beat down their much larger opponents.

Simple enough.

After relaying this information to Damion, they began focusing on improving their Pokemon's maneuverability. As they had Zorro, it was pretty easy to practice dodging and countering, though to emphasize just how much power Lt. Surge had, he made sure his Pokémon realized that even a touch of electricity would probably severely injure them. As such, the decided rule became that Zorro's electricity was a one-hit-knockout to any of the Pokémon, as if they were playing a game of tag, which seemed to motivate them all a lot more. At least, nobody was being halfhearted and allowing themselves to be hit.

They had just finished perfecting Soran's Quick Return when they began to see Vermilion City in the distance. It was massive and full of bright lights, but judging from the distance, it was only a day's journey away. They began training at a frenetic pace, leaving no error unnoticed, and improving every single movement and attack. Flare had begun to learn how to control the direction of his Flame Slash in mid-air—in case something like Leo's Discharge diversion happened again. Zorro had grown much stronger and quicker with his electric attacks, having gained a lot of control and accuracy while training. While Aurora and Kutsune were unable to battle for the time being, he knew they would both be joining him in battle any time now, especially since his Pokédex insisted that it would only take his Metapod one week to evolve into Butterfree. This left him with two days after reaching Vermilion City.

Damion was doing just as well, if not better. As the only Ground-type Pokémon in their entire party, Swift had received a lot of attention for training: Mud Shot accuracy, Mud Sport range, speed, power, and most importantly, stamina. Sorari had often worked with Flare, meaning both got quite a bit faster and stronger. Solar and Aurora both got along as passive and quiet, but Kutsune's constant provoking led to a lot of Vine Whip training as Solar tried to knock away the irritating Bug before she evolved. Afterward, he was mostly training with Soran as she tried to control her direction while using Quick Return.

Serin was the real ordeal. Nothing they could do would pacify her. Every time one of them so much as got in a ten-meter range of her, she snarled and growled at them until they backed off. She only let Derek near her, letting him pat her on the head and feed her the daily meals. It wasn't as if she was slacking off, but she flat-out refused to work with the rest of the team—instead opting for individual training. Damion considered passing ownership of the Houndour to Derek, but one look at the boy's sullen expression while making the proposal made Derek decline so heavily that Damion was, by the end, convinced Derek hated Houndour, and thus kept Serin for the sake of keeping her away from him.

That night, they were exhausted, hungry, and barely able to move. But they had finally done what they needed to do, finally begun walking down the path of a Trainer, and finally were ready for their next Gym Battle in the morning.

They had reached Vermilion City, the port of exquisite sunsets.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Proofread by my co-writer, so hurrah for laziness! *grins***

**Anyway, hope you're all reading, and to those of you who are, thanks. Leave a review, send a PM, or simply continue to read, and I'll be happy, ^^**

**See ya!  
><strong>


	20. Deafening Thunder

They slammed the doors open, neither bothering to knock nor catch their breath. They were dirty, they were tired, they were weak and crippled, and they had trained their Pokémon half to death for the two weeks it had taken them to reach Vermilion City from Blueland Town. But now that they were in the Vermilion Gym, nothing would stop them from winning.

"Lt. Surge!" Derek shouted, his voice strained but still loud enough to echo throughout the dark room. This time, he didn't flinch from his voice returning to him. He remained calm, confident, ready to fight his best. "We challenge you!"

Damion stepped up from behind him and to his side. One look at his face gave Derek all the strength he needed, and all the warning to block his ears. "That's right! Come out and face us!"

The light pouring from the large open Gym doors soon faded as they shut behind the two boys. Derek was getting used to the doors closing by themselves; after the first time with Brock, it had sort of lost its ominous touch. Still, the lights edging the walls all flickered on to light up the room, letting Derek see the full arena...and the two people sleeping on the floor.

"Oi, oi," Derek muttered, slightly irritated. He stepped forward to one of them and kicked him in the stomach. "Get up—I said _get up_!"

"O-ow!" the man shouted. He jumped to his feet, eyes wide with panic, and his hand went immediately for his belt. The man had a buzzcut, and with his tight-fitting leather clothes, he had the obvious 'delinquent' look. "What's the big idea, eh?"

"What's with the whole sleeping thing?" Derek snapped back, unable to hold back his temper from fatigue. He glanced at the other person, a woman with a red sleeveless shirt that tucked into her camouflage pants and long light purplish-pink hair, that Damion was trying to wake up gently. "I thought you were the Gym that had no mercy, always on the alert and all that Tauros crap?"

"Do you _know _what time it is!" the man roared back angrily.

"It's time for me to whup your ass, yeah!" Derek retorted. The moment he saw the Gym Trainer's hand pull a Poké Ball from his belt, Derek swung his arm and pushed Flare's Poké Ball off his belt, flinging it into the open. Both Trainers leapt backwards as a battle began: Charmander versus Electrode.

Derek quickly analyzed the situation. The Electrode was round and colored like a flipped Poké Ball: the top half of its spherical body was white, the other half red. Its eyes were glistening with a malicious joy, and electricity arced off its body in an entrancing dance. The smooth dirt ground was odd, considering it was a perfect way to divert electricity. He could use this to his advantage.

Flare pulled back his right claw and held it at his opposite hip, almost like someone preparing to unsheathe a blade. The Electrode sparked dangerously with a sneaky grin, then began a shocking Rollout, casting tendrils of electricity to arc through the battlefield. Derek had to take a few steps back to avoid some of them, but Flare stood his ground. He brought up his arm in one large sweep, slashing through the air with a flaming claw. The flames burned the oxygen in the air and spread like wildfire, engulfing the Electrode in seconds.

The Gym Trainer returned his Pokémon quickly, his teeth bared. Derek simply faked a smirk to get on his nerves and said, "What, can't take the _heat_? Call as many Pokémon as you want—Flare will take 'em all on!"

"You're too cocky, you brat!" the man shouted. He sent out an Electabuzz next, a large creature colored electric yellow with black stripes. Bipedal and tall, it towered over Flare, and its huge fists and long tail were both dangerous. However, Derek could tell by the way it bared its teeth that it wasn't all that well-trained.

_Easy_. Derek glanced at Damion, who was battling the woman's Jolteon with Solar. They were having trouble dealing with its speed, so when Derek shouted Damion's name, the boy took a while to notice. Still, they shared a nod, and together shouted to their Pokémon their commands.

"Flare, Fire Pledge!"

"Solar, Grass Pledge!"

Circles of energy surrounded the two Pokémon, with a flaming insignia for Flare, and a grassy design for Solar. They stretched forward until they converged, forming a shape similar to that of a Venn diagram. In the circle formed by the Flame Pledge and Grass Pledge were the Electabuzz and Jolteon, both shocked and frozen in fear.

Flames burst from Flare's end, while green bursts of energy surged from Solar. They met in the center and burst in a terrifying, yet beautiful, display of power. A tower of green-and-red flames surrounded the two Electric Pokémon, and when the fire faded, both lay unconscious on the smoking ground.

"And that, my friend—" Derek began.

"—is our victory," Damion finished, grinning.

"That's not fair!" the man shouted in outrage. "This was a single battle, not a double battle!"

"We didn't have any judges; no rules were ever stated," Derek remarked calmly, returning Flare to his Poké Ball. "Besides, you could have done it as well."

"We were following the rules!" the woman barked.

"And we never gave any, we just said!"

"Exactly! Unless you want a rematch," Damion said, his hand having replaced Solar's Poké Ball with another. He held it in front of him with an almost taunting expression. "Well?"

A burst of laughter from the end of the room made them all look up. Doors from the back had opened up, and though the interior was dark, a man walked out. It was obvious, just from the looks of him, that he was the ever-infamous lieutenant Lt. Surge, known to be the most brutal of the Gym Leaders. He was said to be a war veteran, though what war he had fought in, Derek wasn't sure. With his huge, bulky figure and well-defined muscles, he was intimidating enough. But add in the cropped yellow hair and rough expression, as well as a shirtless chest clothed only a brown jacket, and you had a regular muscleman.

"Geez, you two, you just got crushed by some babies! How pathetic!" he said in a booming voice, still chuckling with merriment. "What a beating, hah!"

"Babies?" Derek and Damion echoed in unison, both glancing at each other. Derek scowled slightly and said to Lt. Surge, "Are you referring to _us_?"

"I call all the kids who can't beat me _baby_, so don't get upset about it."

"Oh, I'm not upset," Derek said, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "Not at all. Rather, I'd like to see your expression when this _baby _kicks your—"

"Derek, can I fight first?"

He glanced at Damion, whose expression was as fired up as could be. Though he hated to feel like he was backing down, he nodded and recalled Flare, motioning to Damion. "Fine, partner."

"Hey, don't be so down! I'll take on both of ya babies at once!" Lt. Surge said, his voice colored with laughter. He held two Poké Balls in a massive hand. "Unless you're too much of a Torchic to accept, ha!"

"That's completely un—"

"We accept!" Damion declared boldly, his voice resonating throughout the room. Derek couldn't help but turn to him in bewilderment, but the other boy simply nodded. "But in exchange, we get two Badges!"

"Unfortunately, you won't be getting any Badges," the man with the buzzcut said with a chuckle. "Even if you beat us, you can't beat the boss!"

The woman opposite him knocked him across the head with her fist, sending him sprawling to the ground. She rested one of her feet on his back and leaned towards the two young Trainers. "They didn't beat us, you idiot! They cheated—but even cheating won't help 'em this time!"

"Why, because your Gym Leader fights _like a boss_?" Derek snarled. He glanced sideways towards Damion's Poké Ball, which was Swift's, and slowly pulled Soran's Poké Ball from his belt. "Fine. Lt. Surge! I suggest a four-on-four double battle match, no time limit, no items, and no substitutions!"

"Fine by me!" The huge man held his arms out and motioned towards his Pokémon. "Of course, that's only if you can even beat these two!"

"Easy," he said. He hid his anxiety behind a fake smile. _This battle is either gonna be the __toughest in our lives...or a complete massacre_. "Soran, let's show them."

"Your turn, Swift!"

The Eevee and Wooper materialized on the field in a light show of sparkles. Derek and Soran glanced at each other, holding a silent exchange of conversation: this wasn't going to end like it had against Emily Rose. He stepped towards his Pokémon and gently eased the Red Scarf from around her neck. Yuki may have said that it couldn't be torn, but he still wasn't taking chances.

As he stepped back into the Trainer's box, though, he couldn't help but begin to feel anxious. Not about the battle in particular; he was worried about the Dark Pulse Soran had used in their battle against the Sinnoh Champion. If she showed signs of Dark energy again, he'd be forced to do something about it and treat his Pokémon as abnormal.

_It won't happen again_, he decided firmly. It had just happened that night was all. Something in the area had affected her, pushed her too far...but then again, if that was the case, then it was _his _fault for driving Soran over the edge. That battle had been much too stressful, not to mention cruel. Maybe it really was all because of him...?

"Derek," Damion said, catching the boy's attention. Derek turned to look at him. "You ready to kick some butt?"

"I..." Derek scowled and turned back to Lt. Surge, whose arrogant demeanor brought him back to his senses instantly with a flush of anger. "Of course, partner."

"If you two _babies _are done discussing," the man with the buzzcut said, his hands holding two flags (one red, the other green), "then let this four-on-four double battle match officially begin!"

"Kick their butts, boss!" the woman shouted from the sidelines.

"Ah, put a sock in it!" Derek snapped back angrily. "Or should I shove one in your mouth _for _you—?"

"Double Thunder!"

Arcs of light filled the Gym as lightning surged from the two Electrode Derek hadn't noticed until then. _Idiot! The battle had already started! _he snapped to himself, helpless to watch as the too-quick-to-dodge Thunder attacks shot towards their two Pokémon. Living up to his name, though, Swift quickly took the hits for Soran, his Ground typing absorbing and nullifying the electricity without any trouble.

He allowed himself a quick exhale of the bated breath he had been holding in before barking his orders. "Quick Return on the left one!"

"Mud Shot on the right!" Damion ordered immediately after.

"Rollout to SonicBoom!"

The two Poké Ball-shaped Pokémon began to roll around on the ground, quickening by the second. The Mud Shot from Swift missed due to the rapid acceleration of the Electric-type Pokémon, whereas Soran and the second Electrode crashed straight into each other. Both were thrown across the room and skidded on the ground.

For a moment, Soran seemed to have the upper hand as she charged a Shadow Ball. However, the second she released the ghastly orb of energy, the Electrode began to spin, sending waves of energy straight towards Soran.

A split second before the attacks met, Derek realized what would happen, but his shouts of warning were too slow. The Shadow Ball passed straight through the Normal-type SonicBoom, causing both Pokémon to take direct hits from their enemy's attack. The Electrode was knocked back and rolled a few feet until it stopped in one of the pathways the other still-rolling Electrode had created.

Soran let out a soft snarl as she got back to her feet, relatively undamaged. Still, though, Derek could see by the way she stood that she had blocked most of the attack with one of her paws, as shown by her faint limp. But she wasn't bleeding at least; this was a controlled battle, with no chance of death or severe injury.

...at least, that's what he told himself.

His eyes traveled to the other Pokémon, watching as Swift was forced to jump into the trench the Electrode had dug to avoid being plowed over by a Rollout. The attack didn't really make any sense to Derek, who continued to watch the rolling Electrode's movements. Was it creating a road for some future attack? Or maybe—

"Ee!" Soran cried, breaking her Trainer's concentration. Out of alarm, Derek turned immediately towards his Eevee. Baffling though it was, he saw nothing to worry about. Yet when she jerked her head towards something, he understood the problem immediately.

"Damion, get Swift out of the way!" Derek told the other Trainer before saying, "Soran, Quick Attack out of there!"

"But—" Damion began, but Derek cut him off.

"Do it!"

Their eyes met for a second, Damion's a shockingly bright emerald shade despite the dark glass sky above. The artificial lighting seemed to cast him in an almost glow of sorts. An expression of understanding replaced his confused look, and, with resolute eyes, he turned back to Swift and shouted, "Get out of there, Swift. Follow Soran's lead!"

The Wooper nodded and began to pull himself out of the trench. Derek finally realized what Lt. Surge had been planning by digging so many trenches; it was to obstruct their movement. He could only pray that the Pokémon would make it out in time, but he knew better. The seconds dragged by, and by the time Swift began to run, time had run out on _them_.

A sudden flash of light began to emanate from the Electrode Soran had hit with her Shadow Ball. It glowed a perfect white, blanker than paper, and filled the room with its brilliance.

"What _is _that? Evolution?" Damion called, bewildered by the sight.

Derek didn't get a chance to answer, as the Explosion attack finally took action. The Electrode released a colossal burst of energy, engulfing everything sight. A second booming sound followed the first, filling the Gym with a blinding light. Derek could only just make out the sight of Soran knocking Swift out of the blast's radius with a powerful Quick Attack before he was forced to close his eyes.

Though it was stupid, Derek fervently hoped that his Eevee had made it out in time. _A controlled match? _he thought to himself again, this time with a mocking tone. _What does that matter? It's still painful to fight these battles, you idiot!_

All five humans watched in silence as the light faded and the dust cloud settled down. Both Electrode were unconscious and covered in dirt, as apparently the first Electrode's Explosion had caused the second to go off as well; the side-effects for the attacks had hit them both hard. Swift's back was singed and smoking, but, overall, he looked all right. Soran, however, lay on the ground in the center of the battlefield, covered in a cloak of dirt and coughing her lungs out.

Lt. Surge returned his two Electrode quickly, immediately pulling two more Poké Balls from his belt. He held out a hand when the Gym Trainer began to bring up one of the flags, saying in a gruff voice, "Don't bother; it's easy to see who won and who lost this round."

Derek walked onto the battlefield, jumping over the pathways of the Rollouts and past mounds of discarded dirt. He knelt by Soran's side and nodded to Swift, who had been washing the dirt off with a gentle Water Gun. "Thanks, but it's all right."

"Woo...woopah."

He shrugged before turning back to Soran. With visible difficult, she let out a soft and meek indignant sound in her throat. Taking it as a "Sorry I lost," he said to her, "Took one for the team, did you?"

"Eevee..."

"Take a good rest, all right? You can watch this battle from the sidelines." He picked her up gently and brought her back to the Trainer box, where Damion rushed to him with a concerned look. Derek glanced over his shoulder and called to the Gym Leader, "Mind if I take a break to heal her?"

"Suit yourself. Spazz boy, you can heal your Wooper, too."

"Spazz boy...?" Damion repeated in an undertone, but he shouted back, "Right! Thank you very much!"

Damion hefted their backpacks off the ground and tossed Derek's to him. Opening it up, he pulled out the first-aid kit, and the two children began to patch up their Pokémon, all the while talking.

"We're gonna add double battles to our training regime after this," Derek mumbled, spraying some Super Potion on Soran's scratches and bruises. She let out a soft growl of pain. "Sorry about this, Soran. I guess battles are a bit rough for you guys, after all."

"Ee, Eevee vee," she snarled.

"I'm going to take that as a 'Don't expect us to be so weak!'"

"What's our next strategy?" Damion asked, tossing Derek a compress, which he tore the packing of and secured onto Soran's paw.

"We're hitting back with speed and power," he said, scratching Soran's ears softly.

"Speed and power?" Damion glanced up from the empty container for the Super Potion he had used on Swift. "You don't mean...?"

"Grab Serin's Great Ball; we're fighting fire with fire."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Guess who's back? Archie's back!**

**Yeah, I'd apologize for slow releases, but since no one cares, I'm just gonna laugh at how I get to upload five chapters in one minute.**

**By the way, I've been meaning to say this for a while now, but it kept slipping my mind (because I usually update late at night). Be sure to check out my co-writer's work, which is basically the same story from a different point of view. Tis Ikitsumi's beautiful masterpiece "Isshu no Aoi Kaze," so check it out on her page!**

**Uh, yeah, got nothing else to say. See y'all when I finish Embodiment of Lightning, ^^**


	21. Embodiment of Lightning

"Let the match continue!"

In an instant, Flare and Swift rushed forward to engage a Magneton and Raichu in battle. Derek forced his eyes to stay open as exhaustion clouded his mind, but he still had enough sense to shout out instructions. When he glanced to his side, though, his partner didn't seem to be doing as well.

"Wake up, you idiot," Derek growled before shouting as loudly as he could, "_Wake up_! Or I'm gonna have to kick your ass until you—"

"I'm awake!" the boy spluttered, his eyes snapping open and his body jumping into alertness. His pair of glowing emerald eyes scanned the battlefield, and he shouted to Swift, "Mud Shot at the Magneton!"

"Raichu, Discharge! And Magneton, Light Screen." The Gym Leader let out a roaring laugh as he shouted, "Crush those babies!"

Derek made an irritated noise in his throat as he watched the lights fill the room with a spectacle of colors. A golden aura flooded out from every inch of the Magneton's body before fading into nonexistence. The Raichu, too, was bathed in light that disappeared right as it released a burst of electricity, seeming to burn the air itself.

A sense of déjà vu flooded his mind as he watched the Discharge attack surge through the air, memories of his battle against Emily flooding his mind. _Derek watched as electricity arced off its body like an aura of pure power, hissing and jumping around. All of the electricity turned to shafts of light that blasted in every direction, ranging towards the shocked Eevee and Charmander. They barely managed to deflect the attack with their full power moves, and yet even so, Flare and Soran were scorched by the intense electric jolt._

It wasn't going to happen again. There was no way, _no way_, it was happening again. He pushed back his sleeves and pushed the hair out of his eyes. Discharge was fast, all right; he barely had time to blink before the attack was already reaching for their Pokémon. Still, statistics and information filled his head, with his brain working overtime in an attempt to formulate a strategy.

There was no time to give a command, but he knew that Flare had been ready for the attack. The Charmander had been storing a whole bunch of energy in his claw since the battle had begun, and he released it now with an upwards sweep of his claw. The ever-useful Flame Slash awed the Gym Leader and Gym Trainers as it tore through the electricity, causing the rest of the attack to fizzle out. It wasn't over with that, though; Flare dragged his claw through the air and literally threw the already-fired Flame Slash through the air with an Ember, diverting its path and adding to its strength.

The three claws of fire rended the air apart as it sang its hellish melody. It rushed towards the Raichu but was shrugged off by the Light Screen that reappeared with a golden array, casting the flames to the ground, where they simply burned out. Electricity sparked from the pouches on the Raichu's cheek, and in a few minutes the Electric Mouse Pokémon was glowing with an aura of sizzling energy.

_Volt Tackle! _Derek marveled at the staggering power of the attack, but he snapped himself out of it when he saw the Raichu charge. It almost seemed to glide along the ground, so quickly it moved, and before any of the Trainers could so much as react, Flare took the full brunt of the attack.

An explosion of fire and electricity burst from the two clashing Pokémon, disrupting the battle between Swift and the Magneton. For a few seconds, both Charmander and Raichu were hidden in the flames and sparks. The _clang _of Flare's claws sounded as they smashed against an Iron Tail with such force that the air itself seemed to shiver. Waves of power flooded throughout the cloud, causing it to disperse, but another crushing attack sent up another blast of dirt. However, moments later, Flare seemed to score a critical hit. With a yelp of pain, the Raichu was flung out of the dirt cloud, visibly burnt.

Derek turned to his Charmander and was amazed by what he saw. Just like the Raichu's Volt Tackle, Flare was glowing with an aura of energy, yet, in Flare's case, it was of a fiery red shade. If he hadn't been forced to study as much as he had, he would have probably mistaken it for Flare's Blaze ability, for the appearance was remarkably similar. But on closer inspection, the flaming aura raged and seemed to almost consume the air around it: a Flare Blitz attack. It soon faded away, and the moment it did, Flare's knees buckled, and he hit the ground panting.

Obviously, Flare's judgment had been wise. While Flare Blitz did cause the user to take one-third of the damage as recoil, so did Volt Tackle. Both attacks had been strong enough to cancel each other out, which, while leaving both Pokémon in devastated states, was the most one could hope for. Besides, a frontal attack was the only way to get through the Light Screen, as the barrier helped protect the user from all Special-type moves.

The lieutenant's booming voice brought Derek back to his senses. "One more Volt Tackle, Raichu!"

"Swift, cover for him!" Damion shouted.

"Ee!" Soran shouted from behind Derek, making him turn. "Eevee, vee!"

"I'm sorry, _what_?" he asked, bewildered. Even if Derek didn't understand, though, Flare obviously did. With another almighty slash, he shredded the air with a Flame Slash, sending the attack straight towards the Magneton. The Light Screen instantly came into effect, but even the reduction in damage wasn't enough to stop the heavy blow. The Magneton was blown out of the air, sizzling from the heat.

Right behind Flare, Swift was knocked away by the Raichu's Volt Tackle. The electricity had dispersed and been absorbed, yet the speed at which the Mouse Pokémon had been moving wasn't to be underestimated. Swift crashed into the wall with a heavy _crack_, causing Damion to shout out in alarm. "Swift, you all right?"

The lack of answer made it apparent that the Wooper had fallen unconscious. Damion returned him with a bit of a sour expression before holding the Great Ball up. He had been holding it in a clenched fist for a while, but now he pressed the button, causing it to expand. Concern evident on his face, he threw the Great Ball before he could change his mind.

"Houn_dour_!" roared the Pokémon, showered in a glow of white sparks. The Gym Trainer acting as the judge never got a chance to announce the new round starting, as Serin instantly lunged towards the Magneton with glowing fangs.

"_This _is why I didn't want to release her!" Damion groaned, holding a hand up to his face in worry.

"Oh, suck it up," Derek snapped. He turned back to the battlefield, only to see Serin land a Fire Fang on the Magneton. Almost immediately, she was blown away by a SonicBoom and sent skidding into one of the trenches. "Flare, back her up."

"Char!" He rushed forward, but he was grabbed from behind by the tail. A malevolent grin had found its way onto the Raichu's face as it dragged Flare back. Moments later, a blast of electricity surged from the Raichu, followed by Flare's growls of pain.

"What a mess," Derek muttered to himself. He watched as Flare used another Flare Blitz, bathing himself in flames and forcing the Raichu to back off. They clashed, Flare Blitz to Volt Tackle, and sent another explosion of clashing elements through the room. "Use this opportunity, Damion!"

"Right! Serin—eh?"

The Houndour raised her head to the ceiling and let out a roar of power. All the flames Flare had released into the vicinity seemed to be sucked in and absorbed by Serin. She glowed crimson before once again engaging in a furious battle with the Magneton. Nothing, from Shockwave to Thunder, was working against the Houndour, who either dodged or countered with an equally powerful Fire-type attack.

It was astounding, but wrong in every way. Derek cast his gaze towards Flare, who managed to divert one of the Raichu's Electric attacks away from Serin. However, moments later, he received a Tri Attack from behind, courtesy of the Magneton Serin had been facing. They weren't fighting together like they should.

And that was the Trainers' responsibility.

"_Serin_!" Derek shouted to the Houndour. She cast him a glare before continuing her fight with the Magneton, smashing it into the ground. "I don't care what you think of Damion, or of myself, or of Flare, or of _anything_; shut up and listen to this! The next time you disobey orders, I'm going to go in there and pummel you myself. You got that?"

He received a Flamethrower in response, which seemed to graze his shoulder a bit. He eyed the flames worriedly, but they dissipated within seconds. Had it not been a serious flame? Either way, though... He glared at the Houndour as darkly as he could with the bursts of electricity and flames distracting his vision. "Would you like to try that again, Serin? _Answer me_!"

Her attacks seemed to suddenly lose their heat—literally. The flames flickered out of existence, and she received a heavy SonicBoom to the side for it. Derek could only wonder if his tone had really affected her that badly as she struggled to stay standing.

"Flare, recharge her!"

It was a gamble, really. He had shouted his orders on a whim, believing that Serin would turn around, that giving her some extra flames would win her over and convince her to help fight with them. Well, screw that; Houndour were obviously not so easily persuaded. The moment Flare blasted her with an Ember, she channeled all of that energy into one attack, crushing the Magneton with an array of flames.

"Return her!" Derek called to Damion, turning to him quickly. "I guess that didn't work; just call her back for now!"

"R-right. Serin, return!"

The exhausted Houndour disappeared from the battlefield in a glow of red without too much of a struggle, as did the Magneton. Only Flare and the Raichu remained on the arena, surrounded by not-yet-dead flames and a wasted battleground. Trenches and craters had replaced the once-flat dirt ground—the products of the various attacks used in the battle.

Derek let out a low, fake chuckle. "Guess that was my fault, eh?"

"Sorry, Derek..." Damion mumbled, staring at the ground. "I guess I let you down that time. I'll be sure to train Serin better next time, so—"

"Oh, quit your whining." _There's still one more attack to go, after all._ "Flare, finish this with one more Flare Blitz." _I trust you_.

A low laugh escaped Lt. Surge as he saw Flare begin to ready himself for the attack. The man nodded his head, almost as if in...respect? "Raichu, let's honor 'em, eh? Volt Tackle!"

"Rai rai!" the Electric Mouse Pokémon agreed. It, too, began to glow once more with one last effort. The aura was notably less vibrant and much more translucent than the once seemingly solid energy from the beginning of the battle, but Derek knew it was still a force to be reckoned with.

The two Pokémon dashed forward and clashed in one more magnificent display of power. Fireworks of flames and electricity exploded around them and showered them in light, neither side letting up. Their feet dragged into the ground, and the dirt groaned in distress as it was dug up. Their energies melded before violently reacting with one another, further adding to the battle. Moments later, a sudden burst of electricity strung from the Raichu's body and arced through Flare, an unavoidable electric current. The Charmander suddenly froze up as the attack dealt its damage, in what Derek knew to be paralysis.

_Raichu's ability: Static; upon physical contact, the opponent has a chance of being paralyzed._ Derek let out a soft growl in his throat. So not only were they unable to use Special attacks at full power due to the remaining Light Screen, but now Flare was restricted from moving?

His Blaze ability activated at the last minute, causing a sudden surge of strength to flow into Flare's Flare Blitz. The attack almost doubled in size, yet still the Raichu held the advantage. Soon enough, the flames dispersed, and Flare was left holding the glowing mouse at bay with bare claws. He was thrown back into the dirt with such force that a cloud of dust surrounded him, while the exhausted Raichu sank to the ground, panting. A triumphant smirk was evident on its face as it let out a loud "_Rai_!" and one more burst of electricity.

"Did we...just lose?" Damion asked in disbelief. His green eyes stared at the cloud Flare rested in, disbelief flitting across his face.

"Eevee!" Soran shouted as loudly as she could with her crippled form.

He couldn't understand her exact words, but he didn't have to. _Destiny, right? Yeah, thanks a lot. Show them what you've got, Flare_.

_Flame Slash! _The claws tore through the cloud and slashed at the Raichu's back, which caught the unsuspecting Pokémon by surprise. It hit the ground nearly instantly, three long burns still smoking on its back. Shocked cries came from the Gym Trainers, while Damion let out an amazed "Wow!"

Derek simply turned to Lt. Surge, glaring at the man as darkly as he could. When he had expected to receive another insult, though, the man simply burst out laughing as he returned his Raichu to its Poké Ball. "Congrats, kids, you've won yourselves two Gym Badges!"

The glare changed to a surprised stare. "You...mean...?"

"We won, Derek! We won, we won, we won!" Damion shouted, laughing as he grabbed Derek by the shoulder. They hit the ground, Derek being too surprised to catch himself. For a minute, they rolled around, the red-eyed boy trying in vain to get the other boy off of him.

"Get off—I said get off, damn it!"

"But we _won_! Haha! Eat that, world!" The boy sat up and threw a fist into the air. "That's three Badges al_ready_! Boo-yah, who's the king now?"

Derek couldn't help but feel amusement at the boy's antics as he, too, sat up. When he turned towards where Soran had been lying down, she was no longer there, but he knew she was just talking to Flare on the battleground. "Yeah, Damion, we won. No thanks to you, I might add."

"Hey, Swift was awesome. And Serin did great beating that Magneton, even if..."

"If she didn't listen?" Derek let out a scoffing sound. "Control your Pokémon, Damion. That goes for Sorari, too."

"W-well...well I..."

"Well, you both won, and that's all that matters for now." Lt. Surge picked them both up with one hand each, proving that his muscles weren't just for show. He handed both boys an eight-pointed golden star. "Your names?"

"Derek."

"Damion!"

"Derek and Damion." The man smiled kindly before patting them on the shoulders. "You two'll be good Trainers. Congrats on winning in the Vermilion Gym."

Derek nodded, a bit of respect for the man flooding him. A facade, was it? Or perhaps this man really only respected those who could win in a battle. But either way... "I thank you, Lt. Surge."

"Thanks, mister!" Damion twirled on his heel, faced and held his badge up to the sky, and shouted, "I just got the Thunder Badge!"

Derek slapped him across the head before hefting up their bags off the ground. He noticed the two Gym Trainers scowling sourly and, just to spite them, saluted. "See ya, Gym Trainers."

They muttered several things under their breaths before the buzzcut man responded, "Yeah, yeah, kid, just get outta our Gym. Don't disturb people when they're sleeping!"

Derek motioned for Flare and Soran to follow, and the two boys stepped out of the Gym triumphantly. The moon shone above them, glistening above cotton clouds. "How 'bout we finally get some sleep, hm?"

"Finally! But before that..."

"Yeah?"

"Can we get something to eat?"

Derek cast him an amused glance. He bit back an insult and simply said teasingly, "Fine, but only 'cause we won today, you spazz."

"Sweet! Food!" Damion's walking gained an very noticeable bounce to its steps. "All right!"

"And you're paying."

"Oh c'mon, that's not fair!" He stopped in the middle of the street. " At least pay half!"

He shrugged before leaving Damion behind on the road. "No."

"But..." Damion began, reluctantly following him. "Can't you—"

"Nope."

"Derek!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Just gotta say, guys, I really love you all. And I sound really ungrateful every author's note, but really, forty plus reviews is amazing for a fic like this. I just...wow. Jesus, guys, go read some actually worthwhile fics, lol.**

**Um, yeah, on the topic of fanfiction, I've realized how much I detest writing Lost Memories, Revamped! It's actually kinda weird, considering. ****Of course I'm gonna keep going at it, but it's tiring after rewriting it so many times. You have no idea, _no idea_, how many different Lost Memories there have been. THERE'S A REASON IT TAKES OVER TWO WEEKS! (I'm also lazy, so yeah.)**

**Seriously, though? Thanks a lot, everyone. Especially OceanSpiral, who, despite not reviewing too much (due to her busy schedule and her more worthwhile activities), was the one who first inspired me to keep writing. (And by the first, I really mean the first. Way back in January 2011, with the original Lost Smiles.) I gotta say, thanks a lot to her.**

**I'm feeling sentimental today. God. I'll save the rest of the thanks for the end of the fic, so see y'all later. =D  
><strong>


	22. C2  D2

"Ah, mister?"

He glanced at the employee. "Yes?"

She gazed at him for a second before smiling gently. "Maybe you should cut your hair...? It'd be nice to see your eyes."

Derek brushed the hair out of his eyes, just enough so that he could see who he was talking to. He had been careful to cover his eyes with his bangs, just like usual, since people generally didn't appreciate the crimson shade. She obviously didn't know what she was talking about if she wanted to see them.

He noticed that the employee was just a teenager, only a few years older than himself. Her blue-tinted, flowing black hair reminded him of someone else's, but he wasn't sure whose. Their eyes met—black and red—yet she didn't flinch away. Instead, she opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, though, one of the impatient customers behind Derek grumbled some nonsense about "customer service" and "lack of respect towards the elder"—both of which where stupid and completely irrelevant to the situation.

The employee, apparently sharing his thought, muttered something about having no time to herself. With a sigh, she smiled almost ruefully at Derek, winked, and began scanning the various products the old grandmother had decided to buy.

Derek wanted to stick around and ask the teenager something, but when he saw a rather inappropriate-looking CD stacked among the other objects, he opted for leaving. Sickened to the stomach at the thought of what such an old person could possibly want with something like that, he shoved the bought products into his backpack and left the store as quickly as he could.

The asphalt under his feet was an odd feeling after wandering around on the smooth titled floor of the supermarket for so long, but he didn't stick around to wonder about it. Sunlight peered down at him, and the trees waved their branches in greeting as the wind slowly stirred life into the world. It was bright, sunny, and a good environment—perfect for training.

Derek hated every second of it.

It was the scent, really. The smell of seawater was unbearable, and he knew the longer they stayed in Vermilion City the more he'd have to endure it. He hadn't really noticed it the night before as he had been half-dead with exhaustion, but now the scent was more than he could take.

He shuddered with disgust, forcing himself to keep walking. He had already bought all the supplies that he and Damion needed from the city, so all that was left was to stick around and watch the Indigo League unfold.

As he walked, though, his mind wandered back to the teenage employee. He couldn't help but wonder what people were doing with their lives—the ordinary people, the ones who weren't Trainers, like her. He had never really thought about it seriously, but he, too, could have become one of the "ordinary people."

A Pidgey chirped an afternoon song to its friends, and a trio of the birds soon fluttered into the sky overhead. Derek stopped to watch them fly, appreciating the fluid movement of the flapping of their wings. A sudden thought occurred to him, though, as he watched them fade into the distance: freedom was sweet, just like it was for him, who had become a Trainer. So was it really all right to keep Pokémon in their Poké Balls as if they were prisoners?

Frowning, Derek continued back towards the Pokémon Center. In that case, the very capturing of Pokémon—no, the act of being a Trainer was wrong. He'd have to consult with Soran when he got back.

He could only hope that Damion was being responsible enough and keeping care of their Pokémon. But knowing Damion...

A tinge of panic hit Derek when he saw a crowd gathered around the Pokémon Center. He picked up the pace and began to run without even thinking. Between groups of friends, around mobs of fanatics—he dashed into the Pokémon Center with a sense of foreboding and with panicked breaths.

Forcing his way in through the crowd, he continued to rush forward, only to trip over someone's leg in an attempt to skid to a stop. Using the fall, he rolled towards where most of the crowd was, and while he nearly broke an arm and his back doing so, he managed to make it without losing time.

With a banging of his head against a plush armchair, he came to a painful stop with a groan of pain. The backpack on his back slipped off his shoulder and onto the ground, and Derek could only guess at how many things he had broken. Still, the distress he was feeling led him to stand up and turn accusingly towards the seated boy.

"Damion, what the hell did you do?"

"Huh? I didn't do anything!"

Derek took a moment to stop glaring at Damion to look around. His eyes traveled from the seated Damion to the boy who held the scarf-wearing Eevee sitting opposite Damion. Derek then glanced towards the crowd gathered around them, noticing for the first time what they were talking about.

"So this is the Eevee that beat Lt. Surge?"

"Wow, who knew a rookie could get an Eevee?"

"No, who knew a rookie could beat _the _Lt. Surge?"

Derek glared at them with annoyed eyes. Most of them shut up immediately.

The boy with Soran in his arms smiled up at Derek, his sky blue eyes glistening. Intricate cloud-like silver colorings made his eyes look like a portrait of a sky. His hair was a sleek gray in the shadows, but the light on the back of his head, which was directed towards the window, made his hair look a silver color instead.

"I assume this is your Eevee?" he asked, his voice cheerful.

"It is," Derek agreed, stroking Soran as she jumped onto his shoulder and casting Damion a venomous look. Annoyed, he growled, "_Why_ did you let Soran out of her Poké Ball?"

"She let her_self_ out!" Damion protested. "Honest!"

He had more than enough anger to curse at him, but he turned in bewilderment when he heard the silver-eyed boy laugh. Said boy held up a hand, almost as if in apology, and smiled. "You two seem to be really good friends, huh?"

"Rivals," Derek and Damion both corrected at the same time. They cast each other odd looks.

"Friends, rivals—they seem the same to me," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He eased himself up into a standing position, and Derek noticed (with annoyance) that he was a bit shorter than the boy. Holding out a hand, the boy said, "The name's Ciel. Ciel Larson."

"You've probably heard it from Damion," Derek said, taking his hand, "but Derek."

Whispered words reached Derek's ears; the crowd was talking among themselves about the "kid named Derek" who "has an Eevee." Slightly irritated, Derek pulled his hand away from Ciel and turned to them, nearly bumping into the back of a small girl he hadn't noticed before.

Her hands were on her hips in a classic stance, though it looked rather ridiculous due to her height; she was more than an inch shorter than Derek. Her voice was soft and quiet; a questioning voice that hid annoyance, yet she somehow managed to sound harsh. "Is it really okay for you all to gather around just because of one rare Pokémon?"

Some of the people turned to their companions and said things like "You hear? I told you it was rude!" and "Jeez, you made a girl angry; you happy now?" Others raised their hands in apology and left the building, while most of them just walked away muttering things under their breaths.

When the crowd had, for the most part, disappeared, the girl turned to Derek. She said something under breath that sounded like, "Sheesh, people these days!"

He gazed at her curiously, though he had to look down due to their height difference. She stared back at him with brown eyes and raised her head with a frown. It was in the light that Derek realized that, no, they weren't brown; they were the color of amber. Golden locks intertwined with her elegant brown curls, framing her face. Somehow, they didn't suit her. It was almost as if she were trying too hard to look mature.

He began to believe that his assumptions were right when she spoke to him in a voice deeper than that from before. She was obviously trying to sound serious, so Derek hid his amusement behind a polite (fake) smile. "So, this is the Eevee?"

Derek pointed to the Pokémon on his shoulder. He responded in an equally serious voice, "This would be Soran, yes."

She opened her mouth to respond but closed it a second later, looking confused. Clearing her throat, she scratched her cheek and glanced up at the ceiling. Derek watched her as she stood there, obviously pondering something. It took a few seconds before she blinked, smiled, and turned back to Derek, holding out her hand. Her expression was satisfied as she told him, "The name's Caitlin Feyer. Nice to make your acquaintance."

He sighed inwardly as he took the hand, both at her more-than-obvious attempts to try and be mature and in exasperation. Just how many handshakes would he have to go through? "I'm—"

"Derek, right?" She smiled when he nodded. She jerked her hand up and down in a manner that could hardly be considered a handshake, but Derek decided not to mention that. "I talked to Damion, too, of course, so I know some stuff about you."

Confused, Derek turned his head towards the seated two. "You've met each other?"

"She's my traveling partner," Ciel answered loftily.

Derek shrugged at that and turned back to Caitlin, noticing that she was watching him intently. When she spoke, he was surprised by the bluntness of her tone. "You might wanna get a haircut."

_S__o much for being mature, _he inwardly grumbled. _What's with people today? What's with this _hair_sy today?_

He sighed (mostly at his horrible pun), pulling at his bangs and brushing them out of his eyes without thinking. The effect was instantaneous; Caitlin stumbled backwards with a gasp, tripping over her own feet in doing so. Derek reached forward and grabbed her arm before she could fall, but she tore her arm of his grasp, regaining balance by herself.

She stared at him with fearful eyes, her expression one of desperate fear. Derek took a step back, taken by surprise, and felt the guilt flood through him. He tried not to let it bother him... After all, it was the norm.

His bangs, falling across his eyes again, shadowed the crimson color from the world. He forced himself to speak, forming the words with difficulty. His mouth was disgustingly dry. "I just don't want people to react like _that_ every time they look at me."

Caitlin flushed a darker red than Derek's eyes, shaking her head. "N-no, it was just a surprise."

Ciel gazed at Derek with interest. It was a discomforting stare; his eyes were surprisingly hard to look at. Maybe it was just the way he was staring...

"Color lenses or natural?" Ciel asked suddenly, breaking Derek's train of thought.

He sighed. "Natural."

"Albinoism?" Caitlin questioned. She had noticeably calmed down, though she hadn't closed the distance between them. He noticed that her hand was at her belt; it was a common habit of Trainers who were faced with something they weren't sure of. "You don't look it."

"_Albinism_," Derek corrected halfheartedly, glancing away when Caitlin blushed with embarrassment for the second time. "And that's because it isn't."

"Mm." Ciel smiled; a remarkable feat what with the seemingly _weighted _air. "Well, you aren't the only one with weird eyes. I'm always getting remarks, too, and it ain't really all that great, you know? You're one of the only people who's ever managed to look me in the eye more than a few seconds."

Derek shrugged in response, not really sure what to say. It wasn't all that uncommon to get reactions like Caitlin's, so he was sure that Ciel had had his fair share of experiences. His eyes narrowed as he recalled a more painful memory from his past...back to a time when he hadn't realized how harsh the outside world really was...

"Yeah, it happens. But there _are _those who just don't care, like you and Damion."

Caitlin let out an indignant-sounding grumble.

Ciel simply nodded. "Speaking of which, I heard you two beat Lt. Surge? In a double battle, no less. That's pretty impressive."

_Changing the subject, huh? _He thanked Ciel silently before proceeding to answer the question. "Two versus one can hardly be considered fair, and we won by a fluke." _The lieutenant was probably half-asleep when he battled us._

"But a Gym battle's a Gym battle," Caitlin asserted. She rested her arms on Damion's chair and leaned forward, her curls just barely touching the top of Damion's head. "Ciel, maybe we should try a double battle, too. It would be much easier for us than single battles."

"It sure would." Ciel looked up towards Derek, the silver clouds dancing in his eyes. "We've been training to battle Lt. Surge, too, but we haven't gotten around to doing so yet. Mostly 'cause of how strong we know he is."

"He didn't seem all that strong, though," Damion said. "I mean, at least not to me..."

Ciel shook his head. "The lieutenant's renowned as one of the most brutal Trainers in the world, next to maybe Sabrina. Have you tried looking around you, Damion?"

"Around me?" The boy looked up, confused. "To where?"

Ciel pointed to the main hall, towards the front desk. Damion turned, as did Derek, and the two watched as Nurse Joy rushed around the desks and rooms. Several Chansey followed her, most of the carrying things that varied from stretchers (with Pokémon on top) to Potions and Poké Balls. Derek caught sight of one particularly badly damaged Metapod and winced; the image of Kutsune in that sort of situation brought shudders to his body.

"Lt. Surge is no pushover," Ciel said, his voice quiet. "That's why I haven't challenged him yet."

"_We _haven't challenged him yet," Caitlin corrected. Apparently thinking that her choice of words hadn't been mature enough, she then said, "It isn't proper for a Trainer to simply rush into a battle, after all."

"Nor is it wise to delay the unavoidable. Strike while you have an advantage," Derek said, matching her tone without meaning to. "Lt. Surge isn't going to be able to face challengers left, right, and center. Even a Gym Leader is bound to get tired."

"Well," Ciel said, pushing himself up into a standing position, "that's true. But Derek, I want to see just how well that Eevee of yours battles. I want to see how good of a Trainer _you_ are."

"Are you saying you want to see if you're good enough to battle Lt. Surge?"

A smirk from the silver-eyed boy. "Of course. I formally challenge you to a battle, Derek."

Derek glanced at Damion out of the corner of his eyes, though he got nothing from his blank expression. His eyes met with Caitlin's, but both of them quickly looked away.

With an inward sigh, he stood up, turned to Ciel, and frowned. This was all getting in the way of him asking Soran whether being a Trainer was the right choice or not—and, after all, a battle itself was what he wasn't sure was right.

Still, though... He couldn't just turn down a challenge.

"All right, Ciel. I accept your challenge."

"Hey, that's no fair," Damion said, also standing up. "Don't leave us out! We wanna battle, too!"

"I'm sure not doing a double battle, if that's what you're suggesting," Derek grumbled. He gave Damion a meaningful look. _They seem like the types that would be good working together. _"Why not just battle Caitlin?"

Damion glanced at the girl, who shrugged. He smiled, and Derek could hardly believe how easily the boy was pacified. "All right, sounds good."

"Well, then," Derek said, taking Soran from his shoulder and holding her in his arms, "let's go." _I'll figure out the answer through this battle._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Mwahaha. I'm back, baby.**

**Also, the title screwed up, because Fanfic's dumb and doesn't like special characters. It should be C(squared) (doesn't equal) D(squared). Or C² ≠ D².  
><strong>


	23. The Sky's the Limit

_"Do you know the word _unmei_?"_

_ Derek frowned a bit, holding a hand to his chin. "_Unmei_, huh? I don't really kno__w anything about Japanese..."_

_ "Well, it means that's something's supposed to happen. Almost..almost like it's going to happen no matter what."_

_ "Destiny?" Derek suggested. "Or maybe fate?"_

_ "That's the word," Yuki said, smiling. Her eyes glittered a sapphire shade, and she leaned forward a bit closer. "Things are supposed to happen, Riku-_chan. _It's our fate."_

_ "So we were meant to meet?"_

_ "And we're meant to stay friends." She raised her left hand and showed him her pinky. "We have fate on our side_, s_o we'll be okay. We'll be together forever."_

-.-.-

He couldn't help but wince.

He wasn't worried by the loss of his Pokémon, just because he was put at a number disadvantage. Nor was he worried because Ciel had proven to be stronger than Derek had first assumed. It wasn't even the sight of his Pokémon being defeated that caused his body to react so violently, though that probably contributed to it.

No, it was the memory that had just flashed into his head that shocked him. Even his dreams had been relatively Yuki-free, yet such a random scene when he was wide awake was a rare experience. It wasn't normal for him to experience such a thing—and that particular memory was a painful one to recall.

And yet...

He shook the thought of his head, focusing on the battle. Ciel was, by no means, an opponent to take it easy on; he didn't have time to reminisce about the past.

Derek returned the unconscious Magnemite to its Poké Ball and turned his gaze towards Shion, the Marill, with distaste, still having trouble believing that it had defeated Zorro. "I think I'm starting to dislike Marill."

"Oh? Have you battled other Marill before?" Ciel asked, smiling. His hair was a fair silver in the sunlight of the afternoon. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other casually—not at all triumphantly, like one would normally expect from a person who had just won the first round.

Derek could practically see the battle against Emily Rose replay in his head, and he felt the deep shame of it wash over him. He had regained his resolve, but the dregs of doubt were still there; after all, the greater the flame, the greater the shadow. The memory of it almost—_almost—_removed the thought of Yuki from his mind.

With a sigh, he shrugged and answered, "Just one."

As if she, too, were bothered with memories of the fight, Soran's paws dug into his shoulder rather painfully. He stroked her side and felt her body vibrate with a silent growl. "Calm down, Soran."

She barked something at him. The meaning was pretty obvious: "You expect me to take this loss so easily?"

"You're still not completely healed from the fight with Lt. Surge," Derek snapped, glancing pointedly at the gauze-covered wounds under the Red Scarf. "I'm not letting you hurt yourself stupidly; you could just cause permanent damage."

She merely hissed at him in response.

He tossed the Poké Ball, which released a bored-looking Flare. Derek knew that the Charmander wasn't exactly in the best shape, but he seemed relatively okay, even after the grueling battle against Lt. Surge's Raichu. At least, he was in better condition than Soran and completely free of bandages.

Flare cast Derek a glance and muttered something. It was probably along the lines of, "Jeez, not another Marill."

Derek realized for the first time that his Pokémon were all very human.

"Wow, a Charmander!" Ciel's face lit up, and his eyes were wide with interest. "You must know Professor Oak then, huh?"

"I do. I'm from Pallet Town, after all."

"Pallet Town, eh? Some of the best Trainers are from there; even some of the legends."

_Like Michael, _Derek's head grumbled. Irritated, he told himself to shut up, only to realized how stupid that was. He had no right to be so irritated, but hearing the word "legend" just ticked him off.

The Fire-type sighed, as if understanding his Trainer, and shredded the air with a Flame Slash. Derek caught his breath, feeling the satisfaction of Ciel's bewilderment when the attack exploded into a cloud of fire on contact with Shion. The force of it sent the Marill rolling all the way to Ciel's feet. Shion's eyes spun, and its attempts to stand up were in vain.

The strange variant of the Flame Slash intrigued Derek. He couldn't help but let out a, "Well, that was new," at the sight of the disappearing flames.

Flare simply huffed some smoke out of his mouth in response.

Ciel returned the knocked-out Marill, eying Flare oddly. "That's pretty incredible firepower there."

Derek nodded. "Flare didn't have to hold back, after all." _Thanks to your Marill's Thick Fat, I doubt the damage will be serious at all._

"Well, that's all good, but let's see if you can beat this one." Ciel took the second of three Poké Balls from his belt, opening the capsule with a flourish. "Go, Kevin!"

Kevin, as it turned out, was a Hoothoot. He shared a remarkable resemblance with Shion, with a round and small body, only colored brown with a white underbelly and lacking the ears. His tail was shorter and more like that of a square, with three long brown feathers. The Owl Pokémon lived up to his name with a beak, and his large eyes, ringed with black markings, were a deadly red shade. The same black markings extended into two clock hands, almost like antennae.

With its short and stubby wings, Kevin hardly looked like the type to fly. However, he took Derek by surprise with a speedy lift-off, taking flight within just a manner of seconds. Something was odd about the Hoothoot, though...

_Ah. _It hit him quite suddenly as the memorized statistics ran through his head. "Aren't Hoothoot nocturnal, Ciel?"

The boy shrugged. "Kevin isn't. It's a long story, but to put it in just a few words, he was like that when I caught him."

"Mmph."

A sudden blast of water hit Derek square in the face. Like fire, it seemed to burn at his skin, making him exclaim in pain. He held a hand to his cheek, casting murderous glares at Damion and Caitlin. The former and his Pokémon were already on the ground apologizing, and Damion was apparently urging Caitlin to follow his example. A Flaaffy, obviously Caitlin's, was also on the ground, seemingly enjoying herself by mimicking Swift and Damion.

Derek turned back to Ciel and muttered a stream of curses under his breath, his mind starting to feel a bit foggy. It must have been one of Swift's Water Guns; if he hadn't been standing so far away, the damage would have probably been much worse. As it was, the water felt like acid, and he wiped off as much of it as he could with his sleeve.

"You all right?" Ciel asked, a look of concern replacing his normal smile. He took a step forward, saying, "We could call off the match for a—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Derek growled. He had way too much pride to give in just because he had been hit in the face by a bit of water—even if it stung like hell. "Flare, Flame Slash!"

"Flame Sla—?" Ciel began, only to let out an "Aah" at the sight of Flare shooting the claws of fire. Kevin seemed to realize what was happening just as quickly as his Trainer. He dived from the air and towards the ground, avoiding the Flame Slash that dispersed in the air. "That's one awesome move, there!"

Derek ignored him and shouted, "Flame Sla—"

"Mirror Move!"

_You fell for it!_

Ciel was a strong opponent, so it was no wonder that Derek had lost the first round. But still, humans all had patterns, and all Trainers had battle styles. Ciel's was just too simple to figure out. The boy's overwhelming reaction speed and reflexes made for an impossible-to-overcome speed difference, but Ciel didn't seem to have control over his own instincts; he reacted at the slightest movement or command. A Mirror Move wouldn't work against Flare's Flame Slash—since, after all, how could one copy something physically unique to an individual?

The flaming claws tore through Kevin's attempts to copy the Flame Slash (which resulted in a tiny flicker of fire) and sent the Owl Pokémon crashing to the ground in a spark of flames. Ciel could only stare in amazement and horror as his Pokémon lay there, unconscious.

"That's two," Derek said. His head was pounding painfully, and his cheek felt inflamed, but he ignored the pain; the battle was more important at the moment. He glanced at Flare, noticing that the Charmander was overexerting himself as well. _You better back out if this gets dangerous, Flare._

As if sensing Derek's worry, the Lizard Pokémon turned to his Trainer and gave him a smile. He said something, and Derek interpreted it as, "I got this, I got this. Don't wet yourself in excitement."

_Obviously I won't._

"Let's go," Ciel said, replacing Kevin with another Poké Ball. The red-and-white sphere opened up to release a—

"An Ekans?" Derek said, baffled by the purple snake that lay before him. "You're using an _Ekans _against Flare?"

"What, do you not like Nura? I thought she was pretty cool," Ciel said, scratching his head. The Ekans hissed in agreement. "Well, I can't help that..."

Bafflement turned into bewilderment. "You named...your Ekans..._Nura_?"

Ciel stared back, just as confused. "Yeah?"

"...What?" Derek threw his arms up, unsure of whether it was the pain driving him insane or whether the name was just that strange to him. "What is that? What even _is _that?"

Puzzled by Derek's gestures, Ciel glanced at Nura. "It's an Ekans..."

Derek just shook his head in exasperation before turning to Flare. "Okay, I admit that Felix was a horrible name to suggest to you, but Nura for an Ekans? You have to agree with me, right Flare?"

The Charmander cast one look towards his Trainer, glanced at Nura, shrugged at Ciel, and then returned to his Poké Ball without a word. Derek felt his jaw drop, unable to believe his Pokémon had just ditched him like that.

"All right. All right, fine!" he snapped, glaring at the Poké Ball on his belt. He was uncomfortably aware of how difficult it was to focus on the small metallic sphere. "You know what? Do what you want! Arceus!"

Soran growled something into Derek's ear, probably irritated by all his movement. He turned to her sourly, asking, "What, do _you_ think Nura's a fitting name, too?"

She shook her head.

"A bad name?"

A nod.

"Then you agree!" He pulled Soran off his shoulder and held her appreciatively in his arms. She mewed, rubbing her cheek against his hand. He then put her down on the ground, letting her sit down on the ground. "Jeez. Soran, you really are the best."

It was with a feeling of amusement that he turned back to his dilemma, shrugging at the bemused Ciel. Derek reached for Aurora's Poké Ball, but before he could stop her, Soran was already stepping onto the battlefield. He frowned and called out to her, "Soran, you sure?"

"Ee!"

"And if you get hurt?"

She glanced at him in such a way that he felt stupid for asking.

With a sigh, he just nodded and said, "Fine. Go for it."

She dashed forward with a Quick Attack, though Derek could see her movements were slower than usual. Her right forepaw barely touched the ground as she dashed, showing Derek that she still hadn't recovered from the direct SonicBoom she had taken from the previous battle. Still, she managed to take the Ekans by surprise, pouncing onto it before it could react.

Ciel, though, was unfazed. He ordered a quick Poison Sting, and Nura shot a barrage of the poisonous white needles at Soran. She dodged by leaping in the air, but the force of the jump made her wince. The Poison Sting attack hit her head on, and an exclamation of pain rang through the area.

"Soran..." Derek, cursing himself for being such an idiot, closed his eyes for a moment and tried to clear his head of the pain he felt. Maybe his Pokémon wanted to battle after all—maybe that's just what they liked, after two months of it. But that didn't mean he, as a Trainer, was supposed to let them battle just because of their desires to.

So what was a Trainer supposed to do, exactly?

"Soran, Shadow—"

"Glare!"

Derek couldn't help the frustrated noise he made when Ciel _again_ overtook him in speed. His anxiety had made him forget to come up with a counteraction, resulting in Soran being frozen in place out of fear as Nura gave her a spine-chilling look. She took a direct hit from Nura's tail and was sent skidding away, sliding on the rough terrain of the dirt.

Somehow, things were getting harder to see. His vision blurred and his head felt heavy, not to mention the sensation of flames licking at the place he had been hit. Had the Water Gun done something odd to him? He couldn't imagine that the water's acidity had actually _injured _him.

_Who the hell cares_, he growled, turning back to Soran. His Pokémon was getting beaten up, and he cared more about his _head_? "Soran, use a Retu—"

"Screech!"

An ear-piercing sound blasted from the Ekans, hurting Derek's head even more. He saw Soran, who must have been exhausted to the breaking point, hit the ground. Unable to bear it anymore, he pulled out his Poké Ball and shouted, "I surrender—return, Soran!"

_Sorry, Soran, _he thought, watching her disappear in the flash of red. She gave him one last look, but he couldn't tell what emotion it was. Sorrow? Anger? Acceptance? He couldn't tell anymore; it didn't matter at this point.

What mattered was that he had lost again.

He stepped up to Ciel, trying for a smile. His lips barely twitched at his attempt, which was pathetic, even for him. Normally he could force a fake, but now, he barely had the strength to look Ciel in the eye.

"It looks like none of our Pokémon are badly hurt," Ciel said simply, shaking Derek's hand.

"I suppose not." Derek tossed his wallet towards Ciel and turned his head towards Damion and Caitlin, but he found it hard to really see what was going on. His mouth was as dry as it had been when he had seen Caitlin's stricken expression, and he felt like his skin was burning where the water had touched him. It was impossible to look Ciel in the eyes, now. "How are the others doing?"

"They seem to be doing all right," Ciel said, handing back the wallet. Derek noticed that Ciel hadn't even opened it up; he had just taken one of the bills at random. It had been one of the five-hundred Pokédollar bills, too; barely even a fraction of Derek's money.

Derek nodded and put the wallet back in his pocket. A sudden urge to be alone hit him. He wanted to break apart, to let out his anger, to sleep, _anything _as long as Ciel wasn't there. He held out a hand towards Ciel and said, "I'll get your Pokémon to Nurse Joy for you. You should do fine against Lt. Surge tomorrow."

"It's okay, I'll..." Ciel's voice trailed off into silence, his eyes staring at something in the distance. His gaze was unnaturally serious.

Derek glanced at Ciel, frowning. "Something the matter?"

"That's...a Tyranitar," Ciel said, narrowing his eyes.

Confused, Derek turned. Ciel was right; a Tyranitar with a mini sandstorm flickering around its body was walking down the streets of the city like an ordinary person. Seeing the green dinosaur-like Pokémon was anything but ordinary, though; Tyranitar were vicious creatures, and the fact that it was so calm even when surrounded by humans meant...

"Is that thing trained?" Derek asked. He felt the depression slip from his mind as alarm filled him. "Where's the Trainer?"

"He's gotta be nearby. No sane Trainer would leave such a rare Pokémon to wander the streets by itself—especially not in such a big city," Ciel answered, frowning. "But to have captured and trained a Tyranitar... He's probably..."

"Yes? He's probably what?"

Both boys whipped around, though Derek was a bit slower than Ciel. A man stood before them, dressed in a tight black jacket over a short-sleeved shirt the color of steel. The jacket flared, revealing a line of fabric on the back that held a few Poké Balls, though Derek wasn't sure how many. His pants seemed to be made of the same material as the shirt, though they were looser than the shirt or jacket (probably to make walking easier).

Something about the clothing was odd enough, but the man's expression was much more so. He was a young adult—probably only just twenty—but his short gray-black hair and ageless dark gray eyes made him look older. Instead of a casual smile one would expect from the remark the man had made, his expression was blank and indifferent.

Derek couldn't help but take a step back. He had been staring at the man for far too long; without his noticing, the Tyranitar had already reached them. Something about the situation didn't feel right, and Ciel seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Ciel glanced at Derek. "He's probably...very dangerous."

The man's expression broke into a calm, emotionless smile. "Good answer. Quite accurate as well."

Derek nudged Ciel's foot with his own and motioned towards Caitlin and Damion. Ciel stared back at Derek, but the red-eyed boy gave him a resolute look. The silver-haired boy, finally giving in, ran off to get the two, leaving Derek with the strange man.

"My name is Derek," Derek said simply, looking up at the man's face. The man was probably around six feet tall, making eye contact difficult. "May I ask for your name...?"

The man smiled, and suddenly Derek knew he had made a mistake. "My name? Of course, if you want to know. I am Major Louis Archer of the Kanto branch. I'm here to recruit anybody who's strong enough."

"Major? Recruit?" Derek repeated, eyes narrowed. "What...what are you talking about?" _An army major?_

"There's only one thing I _could _be talking about." Major Louis' smile turned oddly twisted as he said, "After all, the final army that will bring change to the world is strengthening."

Derek stared at him, realization dawning on him. He suddenly found it difficult to swallow, and the pain of his head and cheek renewed itself.

_ Oh Arceus damn it. I think I've just run into an effing terrorist._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Finally gonna start advancing the plot. Half the reason I've taken so long to write these two chapters is because I was trying to figure out a way to put them both into one chapter. (And while it was possible, I would have lost a lot of detail and character personality that I wanted to show.)  
><strong>

**Now, there are a few things I wanna say. Three things, really.  
><strong>

**1. I can't find my glasses, so please forgive anything I didn't correct / incorrectly fixed. I can't read properly, DX  
><strong>

**2. Exams! Forgive me! Give me some time before I actually begin rewriting weekly, I'm almost done middle school, so just grant me a week or two to enjoy it.  
><strong>

**3. You know how sometimes you lose interest in a project? You start so happily, so excitedly, but halfway through, you begin to get sick of it. Then, you have to crawl through the work, force yourself to sit down and get to it.  
><strong>

**No, that's not happening with the LA series. I'm just saying that it sucks. (XD) I'm trying to study, but I got completely distracted with writing this eight chapter release, so yeah...  
><strong>

**But anyway, this is wayyyyy too long for an author's note, so I'll end it on a happy note. Thanks for all the reviews! I can't believe I even reached the double digits. So please, go read InAK (the sister story to Lost Smiles, Revamped!) and spread the love to my co-writer! Besides, she's way faster with the plot thing...  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading! Peace out!  
><strong>

**P.S. My computer broke down recently (though I backed up my files, thank God). So please wait until I get a laptop to replace my beloved desktop!  
><strong>


	24. A Major Problem

"Pokémon unknown. No available data."

Derek glanced toward the sound of the Pokédex with annoyance, only to see Damion's bewildered expression. Said boy threw his arms up in the air while exclaiming, "What!? That can't be right!"

A sigh escaped Derek as he turned back to the monstrous Pokémon before him. His eyes met with the beast's. "Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon. Said to be capable of crushing mountains with one hand, Tyranitar's main strength is in its destructive power and versatile elemental attacks. Its steel-like hide renders most what would be super effective attacks useless, not to mention Sand Stream as its ability. If you wanna get through that armor, Damion, you're going to have to crush it with force."

"Crush it with force..." Damion echoed. "You really know a lot about Pokémon, don't you, Derek?"

"Indeed, you do seem to. That would be the best tactic if we were on equal standing."

Derek cast Louis an annoyed look. The major shrugged it off and took a step forward, smiling slightly. Unlike his previous smiles, Louis' smile this time seemed genuine. Not that it made Derek feel any better that his opponent was _smiling—_rather, it felt strange that Louis _had _a reason to smile...

"Sadly, you four are much too weak," Louis continued. He spread him arms in an exalted manner, looking amused. "Unless, of course, you'd like to prove me wrong."

"Oh, would we ever." Ciel took a step forward, smiling as if it were just another ordinary Trainer battle. "How does one-on-one sound—"

"Don't be stupid," Derek cut in, scowling. He glared at Ciel with distaste. "You know as well as I do that our Pokémon are in no condition to battle. And no—you aren't going to use Nura," he added at the sight of Ciel opening his mouth.

Caitlin put her hand on Ciel's shoulder. The boy turned to her in surprise, but she merely stepped in front of him, holding two Poké Balls in her hand. Each was marked with a different sticker—an 'M' and a 'P.' "Then I guess we'll do this, right Damion?"

"Huh?" Damion scratched his head, his lips pulled into a doubtful frown. "Just us two?"

Caitlin sighed, her expression sour. "Jeez, he was the one who interrupted our battle. Don't you think he deserves to be punished for that, if nothing else? He may be older than us, but he doesn't know manners at all."

Louis blinked, momentarily stunned by her actions. For a few seconds, nobody moved, and even the Tyranitar turned to look at its Trainer in confused silence. It wasn't until the self-proclaimed major burst out in laughter that Caitlin flushed and shouted, "What!?"

"Oh, nothing. It was just quite cute of you to stand up for your friends like that." Jacket flaring in the breeze, Louis raised an arm, pointed a finger towards Derek, and said in a smooth voice, "Dual Blast."

The Tyranitar opened its mouth, and before Derek could so much as react, a blinding light flashed past him, like the focused beam of a flashlight. A gale of wind followed in its wake, blowing at Derek's hair and making his eyes sting.

He took a step back, shaken slightly by the attack. "W-what was that?"

"Oh? Did you dodge that, somehow?" Louis chuckled and turned to his Tyranitar with the faint shadow of a smile. "Or were you just taking it easy on them, Arin?"

The Armor Pokémon simply grunted in response.

"D-Derek..."

"What?" He turned to Caitlin and nearly jumped at the sight of her wide eyes. _What, is she scared of something?_

"Y-your..." She raised a trembling hand and pointed a finger at him. "Your face..."

"_Huh_?" He frowned at her strange behavior. When he turned to Ciel and Damion, though, they both looked stricken as well.

Starting to get anxious, Derek pressed a hand against his cheek where the wind had brushed him. There was no pain, but he could feel the sweat on his face. Disgusted at himself, he wiped away at it with a hand. No wonder Caitlin had been so strange; he was probably sweating like a Tepig under the pressure of the situation. He had no right to call her scared.

He pulled his hand away, amused at himself. When he made to wipe the sweat on his jeans, though, he saw something red on his hand. Confused, he held it up to see.

His eyes widened as the blood dripped from his fingers.

"W-what...?" he stuttered. "What is...all this?"

He felt a bit dizzy all of a sudden. How could he have bled so much without even noticing? Why was there no pain, even when he had touched the wound? He could feel the blood trickle down his neck now, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Just what had happened?

Derek turned to Louis, unable to form any words. Instead, he stared at the man in silent horror.

"It seems you don't understand what happened, huh?" Louis smiled, but the expression looked fake. As if... "That's a shame. Arin, Dual—"

"Serin!"

"Pixel!"

"Shion!"

The Houndour, Pichu, and Marill all jumped in front of Derek. He opened his mouth to shout, but the attack came before he could even get out the first word.

"—Blast."

The force of the attack seemed even greater than before. Serin was knocked away, a deep gash in her side, while the other two were buffeted by the subsequent winds. Derek felt the gale part his hair before fleeing from the scene, afraid, bashful.

Pain exploded in his cheek. It felt as if a knife were slashing at the skin, cutting it apart and mocking the nerves that dared to send warning signals to the brain. Derek's knees buckled underneath him, and he fell to his knees next to Serin.

He touched her side with his hand, inches away from the wound. The Houndour let out a pitiful groan. Maybe it wasn't the best time to realize, but even Serin, who seemed so strong, felt the pain of such a wound. She was just as human as he was, just as much a Pokémon as the others, and just as subject to pain as any other living being.

As he cradled her head in his arms, though, he noticed something was strange. She was in pain from the start...so why hadn't he been?

"Serin!" Damion rushed forward, sliding to a stop in front of his fallen Pokémon. He knelt by her and put his hand over Derek's. "Serin, Serin... Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"_Do I look okay, idiot?_"

"Of course not! I didn't... I didn't..." Tears started to form in Damion's eyes, and he stared down at her injury with a pained expression. "I'm sorry... You probably don't want me to be near you, right? Especially not when I'm crying..."

The green-eyed boy stood up. Derek glanced at Serin, and he knew she was in much more pain than he was. Still, she simply _hmph_ed and brushed her Trainer's concern off, barking at him to leave. Damion gave her one last tearful look before turning back to the major.

Derek frowned and looked up at Louis. "Oi, Major."

"Hm?"

"I would suggest... I don't know, getting a tiny bit serious."

"Why's that?"

He almost smiled. With a hand, he lightly grabbed Damion's. The green-eyed boy turned, his eyes deadly dark. Derek's blood smeared the other boy's hand. "Go get them, eh? _Partner_."

Damion pulled away his hand and clenched it into a fist. He smiled briefly, but the expression faded into an angered scowl. "You got it, partner."

_Those who don't anger often are much scarier when they're angry... Right, Yuki?_

"Swift, Sorari, Solar." He glared at Louis, his voice was lower than a growl. "Let's go."

"Nura, Kevin."

"You too, Mindy."

The six Pokémon burst out of their Poké Balls and stepped onto the battlefield. They only needed to glance at Serin once to understand what was happening. Sorari in particular let out a sinister growl at the sight of his red-stained companion. Derek could understand why; Sorari was the type who believed he was the only one with the right to defeat the strong ones. It made no sense for an outsider to take that right.

"_Idiots_..."

Derek turned to Serin. He was hardly fazed by the fact he knew what she was saying. "Damion's a good kid. He has good relations with his Pokémon, as do Ciel and Caitlin. That's why they're standing up to fight."

"_Are you patronizing me?_"

The thought hadn't occurred to him. Instead of answering that directly, he said, "Look, I'm not really in the mood to talk, either. This thing—" He pointed at his cheek. "—burns like hell. Let's just patch you up already and hope the cops hurry on over, all right?"

"_Human police?_

Serin seemed perturbed at the idea, but her concern faded as she winced in pain. Derek ignored her reactions and applied the Super Potion methodically, spraying at the worst of the wounds and washing out some of the blood at the same time.

He looked up towards the other three. He could see that they had no idea what they were doing; half the time, it was only Ciel's instant reactions that saved them from being hit by another Dual Blast. The most they could do was distract the Tyranitar so as to not let it fire.

"_I'm glad it was you_."

Exasperated, Derek turned to the Houndour. "I hope you're not hitting on me. That's disgusting." He eyed the gash in her side closely and touched the injury as gently as he could. He felt her tense up underneath him, but instead of flinching away in pain, she seemed to edge closer, almost as if in appreciation. "Humans and Pokémon are meant to bond, but not in _that _way."

"_You are the only one who can truly understand..._"

Derek sighed, pulling his hand away. The wound seemed to already be healing, but he wasn't sure how he was going to treat his own injury. "Serin, everything you say sounds linear. Try for something original."

"_Then... Thank you._"

She raised her head and licked his cheek. Instead of the burning pain he expected, Derek felt the pain disappear, melting away with her heat. Before he knew it, the pain was gone, and the blood had stopped spilling.

He stared at her in amazement. "Did you just...?"

The Houndour pulled away and lay on the ground, her eyes closing in exhaustion. "_The wound has closed._"

He opened his mouth to ask _how_, but her expression told him that she didn't know either. With a sigh, he patted her on the head and scratched his own. "I really hope you're not just a _tsundere_."

Serin let out a cough-like sound which Derek identified as laughter. _Well, that's a first_. "_Damion cannot understand me, nor can the others. I cannot help my irritation towards that._"

He glanced down at Serin, and, seeing her look up at him, he shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. Damion's pretty damn optimistic, but he understands people well. Maybe it's because he looks at the good and not the bad that he doesn't give up on hopeless cases. And before you ask," he added, noticing her open her mouth, "that's from experience, yeah. He'll get to you eventually."

"_Your blood tells me the same_." She let out a sigh. "_Though, I doubt it_."

A smile played with his unresponsive lips. "My blood, huh? I hope it tasted all right for you."

She let out an irritated grunt.

"Well, whatever." He scratched her behind the ears. "We'll see, Serin. Now that I know you're such a socialist, I'll be sure to talk to you more often."

"_I would enjoy that_."

"Soran would enjoy it more." Derek stood up, cracking his fingers and rolling his shoulders. He winked at her before turning back to the Tyranitar. His hand dropped to his belt and grabbed one of the Poké Balls. "Flare, let's show them!"

The Poké Ball opened to let out the Charmander, who glanced at Serin with a frown. "_You look messed up_."

Derek slapped a hand to his face over the freshly healed wound. _Oh Arceus, now all my Pokémon are doing it._

"_Oh shut up_," Serin growled. "_Why are you holding back, anyway? Hurry up and show them what you can really do_."

"_I worry about that._" Flare turned to Derek, and for the first time, the Trainer realized that something had changed about himself. "_The remnants of the attack... There are ice particles in your hair, Derek._"

Somehow, hearing his Pokémon say his name was just strange. Still, he couldn't deny the importance of what Flare had just said. "Ice particles?"

"_Probably to numb the senses in the case of an attack._" Flare turned to Serin again. "_Of course, not like it would work on us Fire-types. What happened, though?_"

"Dual Blast happened." Derek scowled. "It's a cheap shot, really."

Flare nodded. His eyes seemed unnaturally bright as he stared at Derek's jacket. "_Your jacket is frayed, Derek. More so than usual._"

"I got battered by some winds."

"_Wind... I would assume, then, that this is a unique move. Dual Blast probably combined the elemental energies of two typings to create one more powerful attack. That would explain why Serin survived with only a gash rather than being pierced straight through._"

Derek blinked. Had Flare always been so...eloquent?

"_Ice and Fire. That is the only possible explanation._" Flare waved a claw through the air, and Derek felt a little bit of wind brush the skin of his face. "_By piercing through the air itself, this Dual Blast probably creates a small vacuum. Quite the formidable attack—more so than my own._"

"Your Flame Slash could probably—"

"_My..._Flame Slash_, as you call it, would be much too weak. I would need more than that._" Flare turned to the others, watching the seven Pokémon battle. "_Derek, I don't believe you being able to understand us is permanent._"

"What, did I get struck by the grace of Arceus to help me understand how to win?"

Flare turned to him with a serious expression. "_If Arceus were such a being, then maybe It would have. However, no. There were several conditions that seemed to do something._"

"Bleeding to death, under pressure, surrounded by talking Pokémon—"

"_And struck by that Dual Blast attack._"

Derek nodded.

"_Derek, there's no more time to waste. I will go in, but I will go in alone. We cannot win this battle, no matter how hard we try_."

"It's just one Tyranitar, though—"

"_Perhaps we can beat this Tyranitar, but I can feel a lot more from that man than just this. Pokémon are animals that subject themselves to instinct—thus, we have the instinctive comprehension of the energy pyramid._"

"Eat or be eaten...?

"_Kill or be killed_," Flare agreed."_I can sense that there are many more high level Pokémon __within that man's Poké Balls._" Flare raised a claw, letting the sunlight wash over it. "_Thus, I'll be enough. I will simply _survive _until our..._reinforcements _arrive._"

"Is that the right choice?"

"_It's the only choice_. _Now, please, Derek, watch over Serin over here. She seems to have fallen asleep from this boring conversation_."

He turned, only to see that Flare was right. The Houndour was lying on her side and breathing heavily, her eyes closed in sleep. Derek couldn't help but want to smile at the sight. "If you say so, Flare. But..."

"_What? I can still write English. Don't worry about some stupid thing like 'We won't get to talk again.' Besides, it'd be bad if we do this often._"

"Why's that?"

"_Because nothing good ever comes out of humans who can speak to Pokémon._"

Somehow, that remark hurt. Derek stood there numbly as Flare walked away from him and toward the battle. The Charmander began to glow a brilliant white, growing larger and stronger before stepping forward as a Charmeleon. The evolution looked so controlled, so contained, that Derek could hardly compare it to the powerful metamorphosis that Kutsune had shown.

As if knowing what Derek was thinking about, Flare smiled at him in a reassuring way. "_I'll be back, Derek. Let's make some more dinner together, shall we? Soran always enjoyed those Oran sandwiches._"

Derek swallowed, nodded to himself, and forced a small smile.

Flare smiled back. "_The name is actually Flayer, but you can keep calling me Flare if you want. It's close enough._"

And with that, his Pokémon rushed into the battle. Derek felt himself drop to his knees, unable to help in any way. He placed a hand on Serin's side, stroking the sleeping Houndour.

_Yeah. _He watched him jump into the battle and tear at the sandstorm of the Tyranitar._ All right, Flare. It was nice talking to you._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - By the way, this is an A/N from March 17th, 2013. I accidentally removed my author's note from the original when editing, apparently, so now... I don't know._  
><em>**

**Well, let's just pretend that I just wrote this chapter! Uhhh, forgive me for making Derek a Gary Stu? There's a plot behind this, people! Probably. I'm not really sure anymore.**

**Er... No, really, I have no idea what I wrote here originally. I write my A/N's after uploading them on to the site, so my original documents are kept clean. Little tidbit of info you might like.**

**Whatevs. Thanks for reading Lost Smiles, Revamped! Check out Lost Memories, Revamped! and all the stories I have on my favorites page. Especially Isshu no Aoi Kaze: Advent, anything by Cantarella of Odile, and Hell is Cold. I may sound like I'm supporting Odile more than the others, but I'm not. Trust me. I just have more of her stories favorited. I-IT'S NOT LIKE I'M SUPPORTING HER OR ANYTHING! DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA!**

**gawd this is one retarded author's note. I am so sorry. Please just go read the next chapter.**


	25. Stepping It Up a Notch

As if noticing the direness of the situation, the ring in Derek's pocket let out a flash of heat. However, the boy, used to the seemingly random surges, simply ignored it and cast a sideways glance towards where Serin had been lying. Though Damion had returned her quite a while ago, the charred grass and upturned dirt that remained made him frown in concern, and he touched his cheek in the spot where he had been hit by the Dual Blast. The skin felt smooth, which didn't seem quite realistic.

Maybe he had just been hallucinating. Maybe he had just gone crazy and none of this was actually happening.

The fragile hope shattered as he turned his gaze to the two battling Pokémon. Flare and the Tyranitar had begun to battle and were exchanging powerful blows. The Charmeleon's glowing claws let off a steely light as he struck the Armor Pokémon with a Metal Claw, and a resounding _clang _sounded every time his claws struck at its hide. However, the Tyranitar seemed unconcerned by Flare's furious onslaught and simply shrugged off the attacks.

Flare, apparently noticing this, took it as an insult and struck with a full-on Flame Slash. His claws dragged through the air before tearing through it, his claws changing from a steel gray to a flaming red. He launched the three blazes of fire, all of which exploded on contact with a ferocity and strength far greater than when Flare had fought against Shion the Marill. The heat of the blast washed over Derek's skin, causing it to tingle slightly and making him close his eyes for a moment.

When he dared to look again, he noticed that the Tyranitar wasn't even singed, much less hurt. With an annoyed grunt, it knocked Flare away with the back of its hand and sent the Charmeleon skidding across the ground.

"Flare!"

The involuntary shout Derek had accidentally let out seemed to bring the Charmeleon back to his senses. He twisted his body in midair and pushed off the ground, flipping back into a standing position. His feet dug into the ground, leaving trails of upturned dirt as he slowly skidded to a stop. The Pokémon gave Derek a growl as he rolled his wrist around, just like a human would before a fight or after throwing a punch. Derek wasn't quite sure whether his ability to understand him had already faded or whether Flare was just grumbling.

Derek turned at the sound of Louis' voice as the man said, "Your Charmeleon is rather stubborn."

He seemed a bit stressed, as if he were concerned by something, which worried Derek slightly. The boy chanced a glance back at Flare, who seemed to have gotten himself ready for round two. He supposed that Louis was probably worried that Blaze would activate—and it would at this rate, in just a few short moments. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

With a confident tone, Derek said to Louis, "Pokémon take after their Trainers, I hear. Just like those guys."

Taking the words thoughtfully, the man nodded slowly. His eyes met Derek's for a split second, gray and red, before he turned to the rest of the Trainers. His gaze lingered on some of the fallen Pokémon, and his mouth thinned into a small frown as he noticed they were all getting back up. "You children don't understand the situation you're in, do you?"

Three claws of fire rushed towards Louis, who simply sidestepped. The flames danced past him, dissipating in the distance, though a scowl found its way onto the man's face. Louis reached a hand into his jacket as he glared at the Flame Pokémon, muttering the words, "How arrogant."

At the sudden horrifying thought of Louis releasing a second Pokémon, Derek found himself moving without thinking. His legs began to jerk forward, pulling the rest of his body along, and he soon broke into a sprint. His head was spinning as if he were in a trance, but he still retained some sense of the situation. Before he crashed right into the unsuspecting major, he shouted to the others, "Take the chance!"

He lunged, bodily tackling Louis' back. The moment they made contact, the boy felt as if he had crashed into a stone wall. The man lost his grip on whatever he had grabbed, but Derek himself could barely think from pain as they both hit the ground. Stunned from both the crash and fall, he was too slow and disoriented to stop the major from jumping back to his feet and grabbing Derek by the collar of his shirt.

A shout from one of the others broke Derek out of his daze and reminded him of the situation. Regaining his senses, Derek instantly lashed out at the man, twisting his body hard enough that the fabric of his shirt tore. Freed from Louis' iron grip, he hit the ground again, but this time he rolled back into a half-kneeling, half-sitting position, a few feet away from the man. He touched the revealed skin of his chest with a hand, pulling his sleeves up past his elbows with the other. His breath came in pants.

Rubbing his neck with a hand, Louis gave him a displeased scowl and took a few steps back, furthering the distance between them by a few more feet. "That wasn't the smartest move.

Each word was colder than ice, yet Derek noticed something odd about Louis' expression. He licked his dry lips and tried to speak without showing how out of breath he was. "You don't seem too annoyed; what's with that approving look?"

Louis smiled coldly. "It wasn't the smartest move, but it's what I would have done had I been in your situation. Distract me and let your friends take care of my Pokémon, right?"

It was with amusement that Derek shook his head. "No, my body just reacted on its own." His eyes scanned the grass as he spoke, trying to find the object that Louis had dropped. "Does that disappoint you—that the plan was my second thought?"

"Actually, no. That's just as impressive." Louis bent forward, reaching down to the ground—grabbing the glistening black object Derek had been looking for. The young Trainer's eyes narrowed, both in annoyance and due to the object reflecting the glare of the sunlight. "Unfortunately, if you're doing this in the hopes of stopping Arin, or even me, it's hopeless."

Derek frowned. His mind raced, trying to figure out what the object was. They were too far away for him to see clearly, and the light was blinding him, forcing him to look away. His lips seemed to form the words he was thinking before he even realized it.

"I could at least buy time," he let out honestly.

"For? If you want the police to come, they aren't going to. I have a friend who's taking care of them. And if you want to figure out what this is, well..." Louis twirled the black thing around a finger before grasping it tightly in his hand. He lifted his arm and pointed it directly at Derek. "I'm sure you should know just by looking."

Derek felt himself freeze.

It was a gun.

A small smile found its way onto Louis' face as he held the dark pistol. The expression was plain and simple, and the meaning behind it was far too obvious.

"This is the right thing to do."

In books, or in movies, everything seems to move in slow motion. Everything takes _forever_—Derek was aware of how it worked. In reality, though, Derek could hardly even see the gun that Louis was pointing at him; he could only stare into Louis' resolute eyes. The seconds flashed by, and his heart raced, counting down—counting down to its final beat. Time was rushing far too quickly for him to catch up, and it was only getting further and further out of reach.

Reality wasn't kind. It wasn't like a video game where a player could restart from a save point, where the main character (or any of the characters) could survive the most severe wounds, or take and shrug off damage that would kill a real person instantly. The real world wasn't like the games Derek had played as a kid.

There was no flash of memories when Derek saw Louis' grip tighten on the gun.

No flash of memories...but a flash of light.

One of the Poké Balls on Derek's belt burst open, and the gun in Louis' hand was knocked away for the second time as a streak of white was launched from the red-and-white ball. They both turned to watch the black metal soar into the sky before landing ten feet away, glistening in the light and just a dark smudge against the grass and dirt. Louis and Derek exchanged looks.

A growl brought Derek's attention to the tiny Pokémon and told him exactly what had just saved him. He let out a surprised, "S-Soran?"

With all the love of an apathetic murderer, Soran sank her fangs into his arm. He couldn't help but curse, and when he gazed down at his arm, the blood spilled from the punctures to the ground.

"What was that for?" he snapped at the Eevee, who simply spat the blood out from her mouth.

"Ee," she grumbled. Her eyes were set on Louis.

Derek followed her gaze to see the man rubbing his wrist. Seeing Louis' eyes glance to the side, Derek pushed off of the ground and tried to dash forward, to reach the gun. Instead, he lost his balance, and his foot slipped on the dirt.

He skidded across the ground, and while his fingers reached the black gun first, a crushing force smashed against his stomach. His entire body seemed to feel the pain of the kick, and his fingers lost their grip; the gun skidded another few feet away, and Derek could see the older man slowly walk towards it.

It was all Derek could do to push himself back up onto his knees. The pain made his eyes blur, and for a second, he couldn't even think straight. He forced air into his lungs and shouted to Soran, "Soran, Quick Attack!"

"Ee!"

Just like before, and just like always, flashing white illuminated the path she took as she lunged for the gun, moving so quickly that Derek could barely keep up. She grabbed the gun in her teeth and dodged Louis' attempts to grab her, and she returned to Derek's side with the black metal still in her mouth.

He took it from her with a murmur of thanks before turning to Louis. The man's expression was calm despite the gun in Derek's hands. The boy felt the coolness of the metal wash over his skin, and his fingers felt at the 'HX' he hadn't noticed before on the holster. The flashing red letters seemed an almost bloody shade to Derek.

"Do you even know how to use a gun?" Louis asked. He didn't even move from his position. "I seriously doubt you can."

Slightly irritated, Derek held the gun in his right hand and pointed it at Louis, his finger on the trigger. "All I have to do is point and shoot, no?"

For a few seconds, the two stared at each other, neither saying anything. Then, Louis burst into laughter. The sound was more insulting than anything Derek had gone through yet, and he couldn't help an indignant, "What!?"

"Try it, then."

Derek felt a sudden chill run through his body at Louis' words. The major gave him an intent look, and his eyes were full of accusation. Accusations that Derek couldn't do it.

And really, he was right; Derek couldn't even move the finger that he had on the trigger.

The cold metal bit into his skin as the seconds dragged by. His mouth had gone dry, and he could barely swallow, yet still he couldn't move his hand. His fingers twitched, pushed by the urge to pull the trigger, held back by his weakness, with neither side letting up. He could only hold the gun, frozen, unable to make a decision.

The pistol in his hands wasn't something that a child was supposed to have—no, it wasn't something _anybody _should have. The weight of something that was made to take lives...he could barely keep it in his hands, and pulling the trigger was out of the question. What he held in his hands was a tool of murder.

A weapon.

"So? Are you going to pull the trigger or are you going to give the gun back?"

The question seemed to hang in the air. At the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Derek found himself trying to distract himself from it, and he turned away to look at his friends. His eyes widened at the sight of all three of them left completely open—none of their Pokémon were left. Even Flare was on the ground, panting for breath, his tail's flame only a small spark.

Apparently noticing Derek, Flare suddenly stood back up, shaking the dirt off of himself. Flames licked at his body in a last effort Flare Blitz, but they were weak; at the softest breeze, they flickered in and out of existence, and Flare's tail fire only dwindled further.

"Dual Blast."

The sudden command brought Derek back to Louis. He felt a crash against his head, and he hit the ground hard—only to see the Dual Blast rush past over him. The fire and ice danced together in perfect harmony; they cut through the air and twirled together without missing a single step, only to disappear within seconds.

He didn't even get to thank Soran for saving his life when the winds started to batter him. They were almost immediately blasted away by one of Soran's Shadow Ball barrages, which then continued streaked through the air and shoot straight towards Arin, only to bounce off the Armor Pokémon's hide. Soran let out a soft growl of annoyance.

The image of the Dual Blast still flashed in his mind. He couldn't see a way to block it completely, or a way to even effectively counter it; it was just too strong an attack. The precision and the piercing power of it was just too much; one hit was enough to kill, and even a miss still was troublesome, what with the battering winds.

Derek felt himself clenched the gun tighter. Was the only way to end the fight...shooting?

Before he could even make up his mind, another Dual Blast shot towards him. This time, Derek saw it coming and dodged out of the way—only to realize it wasn't aimed at him.

The gun took the attack without any visible damage, but the force of the attack knocked it out of Derek's hand. Pain shot through Derek's wrist, and he couldn't react fast enough to grab the gun. It flew through the air once more, away from both Trainers.

"Well, that settles that." Louis stood up and dusted himself off. "If you move, you might find your Charmeleon in a bit of a situation."

"You..."

Louis stepped towards the fallen gun and picked it up off the ground. He spun it in his hand before pointing it towards Derek, a small smile on his face.

"You're a good kid. Pretty strong for your age, considering you're a rookie."

Seeing the gun back in Louis' hands made Derek feel as if all his efforts had been in vain. He felt his shoulders fall and his back almost give out; all the energy left his body, leaving him just the tired and scared boy that he was.

A sigh escaped him as he felt the pain in his right hand's wrist. He ignored Soran's growls and simply closed his eyes, waiting for it. "Thanks...for not killing anybody."

"It was my pleasure."

Though his eyes were closed, Derek could tell Louis' finger was at the trigger. He closed his eyes tighter, his breath coming in gasps. There was nothing left he could do.

_It's over_, he thought. The _bang _rang through the air, and the bullet—

The bullet...?

"…?"

Another laugh from the major made Derek open his eyes. The gun had dropped from his hands and had fallen to the ground, while the man himself was bent over chuckling. He looked up to see Derek staring at him in bewilderment, but the man only laughed harder.

He kicked the black pistol to Derek, who stared down at it in confusion. Louis calmed himself for a moment and said to him, "It's jammed. All the tossing and fighting must have jammed it."

He laughed again, and this time Derek could almost laugh at the situation as well.

"Well, while the gun's jammed now, there are other methods I could use." The man straightened himself again, his expression having lost its smile, and turned towards his Tyranitar. "Arin?"

The Tyranitar grumbled something and walked towards Louis, leaving behind nearly a dozen unconscious Pokémon. It glanced at Derek with a bored look, and Derek realized something: this Tyranitar wasn't doing this for fun, or because it was being ordered to. It was doing it because it was _work_.

...but why did he know that?

"It seems your luck has run out, though." Louis gazed at Derek, who stared back with exhaustion. "You did an exceptional job."

He had no energy to even try and move, and even Soran's desperate movements couldn't force him. His wrist was burning with pain, and fatigue settled in his body. He was tired. So, so tired...

"Arin, finish this. Dual Blast."

Derek closed his eyes again.

"Xan, Protect."

For the second time, Derek found himself miraculously saved. A green barrier exploded into existence with a dazzling display of light, swirling into a dome around Derek before he could so much as blink. The Dual Blast tore apart upon contact with the barrier, fire and ice finally separated, and the two energies dispersed on opposite sides of the Protect.

Derek sat there in wonder as the green shield faded back into nothing. A hand touched his shoulder, and he turned to see a boy not much older than him. The new boy had familiar black hair with blue streaks, and his eyes were a deadly jet black. He wore a jacket not unlike the one Matthew had worn—only without the collars and with a lot of straps all around. It was a tight, form-fitting jacket that emphasized his lean build.

If anything, he was scarier than Louis. His lips, however, were pulled into a kind smile.

"You all right, Derek?" he asked.

Derek could only blink in response, too tired to even realize that the boy knew his name. His attention was focused on the Pokémon that had saved him. It was giant—as big as Arin, probably—with a body of black steel. Shining gray bands decorated its elbows and knees, and its head, also a silver shade, was plated and had two large horns. Its armored black tail slammed the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt.

The _Iron_ Armor Pokémon—Aggron of the Hoenn region.

"Derek...are you all right?"

The voice sounded familiar. The moment he turned around, he saw her faint smile—a smile he remembered. A smile of his own found its way onto his face...only eighty-percent forced. "Marina Oath, from Cerulean?"

She nodded, and while she was smiling, her eyes were full of concern. "Derek... You aren't...aren't badly hurt, are you?"

Derek instinctively made to cover his cheek, but his wrist stung with pain when he moved it. He couldn't help a wince as the jolt ran through his hand. Before Marina could say anything about it, though, he quickly intervened with a "Uh...probably not."

He glanced towards his friends, who were all scurrying around and trying to heal their Pokémon, before turning back to her in confusion. "Rather, why are you here?"

"I..." Marina stopped, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Well, I just...um..."

A low chuckle escaped the older boy. Both Marina and Derek looked up at him, but he merely nodded towards Derek with a faint smile before turning to the major. "Well?"

Louis, who had been smiling just moments ago, scowled. His words were strained when he spoke, and Derek heard a tinge of anger color his voice. "It's been a while, Aewir Oath."

"Yeah." Aewir smirked. "Too long, Archer."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - BE GRATEFUL.**

**I don't deserve to be arrogant with a chapter like this, but I did just want to act it. I'm not busy in real life, no. I did get my new laptop a while back (a week or two, actually). And I do have all my files backed up on both my phone and email, so no loss there, either. (...except for about 500 songs worth of my library...)**

**Nah, I was lazy. But anyway, this author's note is just me thanking you guys. Thanks. I really am sorry for not updating for during the summer, like I thought I would. However! I do promise to try harder and be more diligent with my updates. I lost the spark I once had back in January of 2011, where chapters just friggin' flowed out of my fingers, but I'll try and relight it with all I've got.**

**Yes, this author's note is ridiculously long. I do want to add I had a fight with FF's "Insert Horizontal Line" function and lost magnificently. It's one heck of a female dog. But anyway, next update will be next week, and hopefully every consecutive week (though I make no promises).**

**See ya then!**

* * *

><p><strong>Odile: And thanks for always being there, my favorite reviewer, =D I can always rely on you to bring a smile to my face.<strong>


	26. An Oath to Protect

"Do you...know each other?"

Aewir bent over and picked up the black pistol on the ground, gazing down at the HX with a scowl. He pocketed the gun and walked past Derek, his steps slow and deliberate. He didn't stop until he reached the unconscious Flare quite a distance away, at which point he knelt down. Something glistened in his hand. "We've battled once or twice."

"Once or twice...?"

He opened the Charmeleon's mouth and, before Derek could stop him, poured something into his mouth. Derek let out a "Hey!" and made to stand up, but Marina shook her head and held him back.

"It's okay... My brother knows what he's doing."

"I don't think any Trainer would appreciate a stranger pouring strange things down their Pokémon's throats," Derek answered, though he let himself fall back onto the ground. Soran, on the other hand, dashed towards Flare, leaving the two children alone.

The boy looked up at the major. Louis' expression was impossible to read; his eyes had become dark shadows—nothing could be seen in them. "Is there a reason you're in Vermilion, Oath?"

"The same goes for you." Aewir patted Soran, who was muttering things to Flare, on the head softly and moved onto the others. He casually greeted the wary Ciel, who, though reluctantly, took the thing that Aewir offered him. With his work done, he turned back to the major. "I'm here on my own business with Lt. Surge. I suppose you're recruiting again?"

The man didn't answer, but Aewir seemed to have predicted this would happen. He didn't even bother to look up at him as he wandered over to Caitlin. "You all right?"

"I..." Her voice broke, and tears colored her amber eyes. "I'm fine, but our Pokémon..."

"They'll be fine," Aewir promised her. Derek felt himself tense when he saw Aewir reach into his jacket, but he didn't pull out the gun; he merely pulled out a small bottle of...

"C...Coke?"

Aewir nodded towards Caitlin as he handed it to her, the shadow of a smile on his lips. "A Trainer's favorite. Drink that while I fix up your Pichu and Flaaffy. It'll only take a second," he added when he saw her eyes widen.

"But..."

"They aren't that badly hurt. Louis seemed to realize how weak you four are."

All four of the Trainers flinched at that remark. The strange teenager ignored their reactions and simply gave the two unconscious Electric-types the same treatment he had given Flare (which Derek still couldn't make out), and they both began to stir in their sleep. He ruffled Caitlin's hair lightly, making her look up at him with surprised eyes, and walked towards the next Trainer—Damion.

Upon seeing the boy, Aewir's lips pulled into a small frown. He didn't even stop to speak; he walked right past Damion and stopped in front of the unconscious Solar, who was frozen solid. At this point, he sighed with such feeling that Derek could have sworn Aewir had been saving up all his disappointment and exasperation for that one moment.

Damion said nothing in response.

Unfazed by the boy's silence, Aewir reached into his jacket once more, this time pulling out a Poké Ball. "Spy, mind helping me out?"

A Houndoom popped out of the Poké Ball. Derek and Damion both winced at the sight of it—so remarkably similar to how Serin looked, only bigger and stronger and with the slightest differences physically. The memories of the battered and bloodied Houndour loomed in their minds, and Derek was forced to look away.

Aewir gazed down at the frozen Solar, watching as the Houndoom breathed on the Bulbasaur. The ice began to melt immediately, and it was only a few moments until the Pokémon was in a puddle of once-frozen water. Aewir wasted no time in treating the Bulbasaur the same way he had all the other Pokémon.

When he was done, Aewir returned his Houndoom with a "Thanks, Spinel" and turned to the rest of Damion's Pokémon. A wry expression found its way onto his face as he said, "Reckless. You were a fool for being so reckless."

He didn't even wait for Damion to respond as he stepped forward to the boy. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but the green-eyed child looked away, unable to meet his gaze. Aewir scowled and said, "Did you seriously expect to be able to beat Louis like _this_? You risked your Pokémon's life—is that something a Trainer does?"

Hurt flashed evidently across Damion's face, only for an indignant scowl to replace it. "But I—"

Aewir took another step forward, closing the distance by another foot. Damion fell into an abrupt silence. "No matter the reason, you put both yourself and your Pokémon in _further _danger by getting angry. I hope you realize that."

Derek felt his heart sink a bit at those words, and he could see Damion felt the same way. So the way he had beaten Brock really _hadn't _been a good thing...

The teenager suddenly shook his head, held a hand to his eyes, and muttered something under his breath. When he looked back up at Damion, his lips twitched in the smallest of smiles. "But still, at least you tried. Don't worry about the past, and just don't do it again."

When Damion made no indication of having heard him, Aewir sighed and took a final step forward. He grabbed Damion around the neck with an arm in a playful headlock and said in a playfully angry tone, "What did I _just _say?"

Damion grasped Aewir's arm with his hands, smiling slightly. "Okay. Okay! I give!"

Aewir released the boy, who fell to the ground chuckling. With the faint smile still on his face, he dropped a few vials filled with a strangely colored liquid into the boy's lap. "Just feed those to your Pokémon, and take one for yourself. You look awful."

"Thank...thank you."

Nodding, Aewir stepped back towards Derek and Marina, a satisfied look on his face. His steps were just as slow and casual as before, but Derek noticed neither Louis nor Arin was moving. Both were silent...as if afraid.

He was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious when Aewir reached him. The teenager sat down next to Derek as nonchalantly as one would sit down on a park bench. "Well, Derek?"

"'Why are you so weak?'" Derek muttered sourly, filling in Aewir's silence.

The older boy gave a genuine smile at that—probably the first _full _smile Derek had seen on his face yet. "That's something all people should ask themselves all the time. You were just as reckless as that brat—" He jerked his head in Damion's direction. "—if not more so. You didn't even think of relying on your Pokémon there. Was that because you were confident in your strength, or were you being stupid?"

Derek scowled at the two conclusions Aewir had come to. "I fought because my Pokémon can't." _And maybe just a bit of stupidity..._

Aewir simply nodded, his eyes on the Charmeleon and Eevee in the distance, before turning to his little sister. "Something the matter, Marina?"

"It's just..." She took Derek's hand in her own and held it up to Aewir gently. The action was as slow and careful as he could have asked for, but it still sent flashes of pain through his wrist. He suppressed the urge to jump away from her as her fingers edged his wrist. "Can we...do anything about this?"

Her older brother nodded, pulling something out of his pocket. Derek was beginning to wonder how the boy had so many things in that jacket of his when he found himself grabbed by the shoulder. Before he knew it, a vial was forced into his mouth, shutting him up and filling his mouth with a nasty, slimy substance.

Instinctively, he made to spit it out of his mouth. It wasn't the taste—rather, it actually didn't taste all that much different from a fruit shake. No, it was the feeling of it in his mouth that compelled him to get rid of it, that disgusted him. He tried to pull away so that he could spit the stuff out, but Aewir's grip was unbelievably firm. All he could do to keep from suffocating was swallow as quickly as he could and jerk away for breath, his eyes watering in disgust.

He coughed as the strange half-liquid, half-solid _something _refused to go down his throat, and he shuddered at the feeling of it. With a reproachful expression, he turned to Aewir and said (between gasps), "You're...a horrible person...you know that?"

Aewir only shrugged in response. Without so much as a word, the teenager stood up from his position next to Derek and stretched before walking away, the Aggron (who had been eying Louis and Arin warily) following. The direction he was going in was clear: straight to Louis.

Clearing his throat one more time, Derek turned to Marina and said quietly, "Are you sure that this is okay?"

Marina gave him a confident nod. "Yes. I'm sure of it."

He forced a poker face so that Marina wouldn't see him frown. It was hard to believe that she could be so confident in her older brother, even if people saw their older siblings ten times bigger than they really were. He could only hope her confidence was well-placed...

Frowning, Derek blinked. Michael was starting to get to him.

"Archer..."

He looked up at the sound of Aewir's cold voice piercing the silence. The atmosphere of the battlefield had changed greatly; it was as if the temperature had dropped ten degrees with his mere presence. The teenager, with his hands in his pockets and his head turning to view the grounds, was as calm as one could be—and overly so for the situation.

He turned to the major slowly. In his hand was the black pistol. The thought that it might be used sent a shiver down Derek's spine; the fact that it hadn't worked before didn't seem to hold true for Aewir.

"..._Major_ Louis Archer." His voice almost seemed to drawl, lengthening each word to the point of where they hardly seemed connected. The finger that coiled around the trigger twitched as if Aewir were considering shooting the man on the spot.

"Oath," Louis spat. He seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as Derek as he said, "I hope you realize that that thing's jammed."

"I suppose you tried it on Derek here?"

Louis' expression darkened.

"The police aren't coming," Aewir told him, sounding almost amused at the thought. He started to pace around, while Alexandrite the Aggron and Arin the Tyranitar stared each other down. The gun remained in his hand, looking oddly familiar in his grip. "Well, not like they would need to."

"You know they aren't coming?"

"Your friend ran." Aewir gave Louis a look of disappointment. "He ran from _me_, which I find ridiculous. Doesn't that amuse you, Archer? The fact that your faithful accomplice couldn't so much as stand up to me?"

No answer.

Aewir shook his head, eyes closed. "Well, no matter. Protect."

"—Blast."

The barrier was well in place before the attack was even launched. Arin straightened up, raised its head to the sky, and shot the combination attack with a flourish. Just as quickly, as if the air itself were solidifying, the green barrier appeared out of nowhere in a perfect dome around Aewir and Alexandrite. Fire and ice once again broke apart upon contact with the Protect, casting shadows across Louis' expression.

Eyes still closed and acting as if he hadn't even been attacked, Aewir simply continued to pace. "I suppose we could end this like men. Or...you could follow your subordinate."

He stopped and gazed up at the sky, as if transfixed by the cloudless blue. For a moment, neither spoke. He glanced at Louis with a small smile. "It really is your choice, Archer. Stone Edge."

The rocks burst up from the ground like leaves to the wind. The flames of the Dual Blast couldn't put a dent in the rocks, and the ice, though able to pierce through the rocks, did nothing to damage the Aggron and simply bounced off the Iron Armor Pokémon's steel body.

"Alexandrite is far more than enough to stop your Tyranitar in his tracks. Well?" His smile faded and was replaced by a cold look. "Would you like to try a different Pokémon than Arin? You can even use multiple Pokémon, if you'd like."

"I suppose Alcott trained you well." The words were hardly more than a growl.

"I am, what you can say, a fast learner." Aewir turned his back to Louis and rubbed his neck casually, just like someone with a stiff neck after waking up would. Almost mockingly, he yawned into his hand. "It's nice of you to—Hyper Beam—compliment me like that."

This time, the Dual Blast was completely overwhelmed. The attacks met head-on, and, for a moment, both were equal. However, the moment passed, and the Tyranitar took the full brunt of Alexandrite's powerful Hyper Beam. It—or he, Derek now knew—staggered a bit, shook its head, and regained its balance, though it was noticeably more angry now.

Derek felt a faint blush of embarrassment color his cheeks as Marina leaned towards him and whispered into his ear, "I told you so."

"Please leave now, Louis Archer." He turned to Louis once again, but his movement was harsher now—less fluid, more business-like. Aewir's voice gained a steely tone, and his expression grew serious. "I no longer have time to play with you."

Louis opened his mouth to say something but apparently thought better of it. He returned his Tyranitar to its Poké Ball, placed it back in his jacket, and glared at Aewir. His fingers twitched, as if he'd like nothing more than to strangle Aewir at that exact moment. "You..."

Aewir tossed the gun back to Louis, who caught it deftly. "Leave, and you'll find that I'm being generous. I'm offering you a chance. Take it."

The two stared at each other for a few moments, neither man nor teenager breaking the silence. Louis' fingers clenched and unclenched in a murderous motion, though the look in his eyes eventually changed from his anger to a doubtful expression. Aewir cocked his head, impatience evident.

Finally, Louis let out a resigned sigh. Almost immediately after, a flash of white burst from a Poké Ball, only to solidify into a monstrous Salamence. Louis jumped onto its back, gave Aewir one last disgusted look, and ordered the Dragon-type Pokémon into the air.

And yet, Derek didn't want to let that to happen. Whether it was because of all the pain he had gone through, or because of the fact they were letting a criminal like that get away, he didn't know. All he knew was that his body was shouting at him to move.

He jumped to his feet, but before he could even say anything, Aewir told him coldly, "Let him go." The teenager turned his back to the major and faced Derek, his lips pulled into a frown. Derek watched in horror as the man disappeared into the distance, leaving behind only the ravaged battlefield and nightmarish memories. "I'll deal with him if he shows up again, so just let him go."

Derek slumped back into his position next to Marina. He couldn't believe that the battle was over—just like that. He had left it all to some stranger he had just met, and he himself hadn't been able to do anything.

He hadn't won. Not in the least.

"It's fine." Aewir covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned again before returning Alexandrite to its Poké Ball. "He isn't strong enough to defeat me, and I'll be dealing with him for you kids."

Derek nodded, hardly having the energy to do anything. His curiosity was piqued, though. "Why are you two even here, anyway?"

"Hmm." He walked back over to the two, his expression slowly gaining a bit of amusement. His frown was replaced by a soft smile that seemed completely out of place considering what had just occurred. It was as if the battle had never happened. "Scared off an accomplice that was tearing up the city, and then I realized why. Well, that and Marina recognized you."

The simple explanation left Derek baffled. Remembering what Aewir had said when he had first entered the fray, Derek decided to ask the questions that burned in his mind one by one, starting with, "Why were you going to see Lt. Surge?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Derek shook his head. The action actually left him rather disoriented; he had to blink a few times before his vision returned. "A Gym battle?"

The older boy actually chuckled at that. "No, I'm not aiming for Badges. The Gym Leaders generally go together to see the Indigo League, so I decided to drop by and make sure he came along. He's a forgetful man, despite his appearance and reputation."

He still didn't see the connection. "Then why...?"

Aewir reached into one of the front pockets of his jacket and pulled something small and shiny out. He handed it to Derek, who, upon seeing what it was, nearly dropped it in shock.

"A-a Gym Badge?"

"The Gemstone Badge of Marble City. I'm Aewir Oath, Gym Leader of said city."

Aewir smirked, as if Derek's reaction had amused him, which only made Derek flush in embarrassment. _But you're barely older than I am! _Derek wanted to shout. He held the words back behind a look of wonder, though apparently Aewir understood what Derek was thinking.

"I'm a young Gym Leader, I suppose. Fourteen—that's a year younger than Brock, if I'm not mistaken. But I've heard the fourth Gym Leader of Cerulean City is your age."

Derek blinked. "Fourth Gym Leader?"

Aewir shook his head in an almost exasperated manner and took the Gym Badge back. He pocketed it before saying, "It's really not important."

Having nothing to say, Derek simply sat there in silence, pink with embarrassment. Marina giggled quietly.

"Well, c'mon. We better get you and your friends to the Pokémon Center. And you... You need a doctor." Aewir picked Derek up around the stomach and threw him over his shoulder.

"W-w-wait, I can walk on my own!" Derek protested. He thrashed around for a few seconds until a searing pain flashed through his stomach, making him groan.

Aewir sighed. "You probably got hit in the stomach at some point, didn't you?"

Derek could barely even speak from pain and exhaustion, so he just nodded. The fatigue struck him harder than he thought it would. There was no way to escape; he was way too tired to even move, and even if he could have, the Gym Leader seemed to insist on holding him. He wasn't sure whether to be grateful or extremely annoyed by the whole thing.

Rather, he felt more confused than anything. He couldn't make heads or tails of what kind of person Aewir was; he was cold and indifferent, yet at the same time a perfect older brother figure. It wasn't even to the level where he was hiding behind a cold mask and was actually a nice person—he legitimately was both cold and warm at the same time, and neither of his attitudes seemed to be fake or forced.

_Maybe he's bipolar or has a multi-personality disorder,_ Derek thought to himself silently.

He closed his eyes and sighed, letting his body get as comfortable as it could in the awkward position. The whole situation just didn't make any sense, and the position he was in only brought back memories that he would rather forget.

Honestly... It was just like with Michael all those years ago.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Sorry if there are any grammatical or spelling errors. Please do point out any you see, or any inconsistencies. (Hey, that almost rhymes.)**

**At any rate, if you've completely forgotten (or haven't actually read it before), you might wanna check out chapter 10, Incoming, of Lost Memories, Revamped! again. You will probably laugh. I did.  
><strong>

**Now, the reason this chapter isn't as well edited as others is because I'm trying to do my summer homework in the last week of vacation I have left, so forgive me for not dedicating as much time as I should. I read through it once or twice, so it shouldn't be horribly error-filled, but as I lack a beta reader...yeah. Sorry, ^^;;**

**By the way, I know I don't have very many "chapter-by-chapter" reviewers (meaning people who review every single chapter), but I do want to ask something. The anniversary for Lost Smiles, Revamped! is coming up (I believe it's 9/9 in Korea, so the 8th for Americans and the like), and I wanted to ask any of my reviewers if you want something for that. I've got nothing, honestly. I'm an extremely slow writer unless I have inspiration, so I'm asking you guys to give me some. So please? Something I can write for that, or something I can do for you guys? Just tell me!**

**Well, if you don't tell me, I'll probably just do a full release for the Indigo League with Matthew, Chris, and Andrea, since that'll be around the time the anniversary comes around. Anyway, if you want something special, please ask!**

**Then, adios!**


	27. Don't Take it Seriously

_"Michael?"_

_ The teenager rolled the Poké Balls around in his hand, not bothering to turn to his younger brother. He did, however, give an assenting nod. "Yeah?"_

_ Derek stepped around in their grassy backyard, sending occasional glances to his brother, who was sitting on the porch. He stopped in front of the big tree in their yard, and he looked up to see the branches that reached the window of his room on the second floor. "Why are you so strong? You and Aliana..."_

_ There was no answer. For a minute, Derek thought Michael hadn't heard him, and he opened his mouth to ask again, but the red-haired Champion simply chuckled. He smiled at his younger brother, who stared back with bright red eyes. "Well, that's because we're family."_

_ "What does that have to do with anything?" Derek asked. He sat down on the wooden porch next to his brother, and a soft breeze swept through the town. It cooled the boy's hot skin and helped him relax. "It's not like just because I'm your younger brother means I can win..."_

_ Michael shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not"_

_ Derek only frowned and shook his head at that. Michael gave him a sly smile before picking the boy up and throwing him around his shoulders. The boy almost fell off at the surprise piggyback ride and laughed at his brother._

_ "Hey, let me down!"_

_ They both shook as Michael laughed as well. The teenager stepped up onto the porch and opened the glass door back into the house. He said to Derek, "Watch your head," and they stepped back into the house._

_ Derek found himself leaning closer to his brother as the teenager closed the door behind them. "Hey Michael?"_

_ "Mm?"_

_ "Do you really think I'll get to be strong like you two?"_

_ "No," Michael said bluntly. Before Derek could let out a sigh at his brother's all-too-common tricks and teases, the Champion added with a laugh, "You'll be much stronger."_

_-.-.-_

"And then you gently put the cloth right on his forehead, right like this. Make sure to get his bangs out of the way..."

Something cold pressed against his stomach and pushed his hair back. Five individual spots on his scalp felt frozen.

"There! Okay, now, don't move—"

"AHH—gahhhhh!"

The reaction was completely involuntary; he felt cold water drip onto his forehead and immediately tried to spring to his feet, exclaiming in panic at the freezing cold touch. The second shout was when he inevitably fell off the bed, hitting the hard ground below and nearly knocking himself out. He lay there, legs still on the bed, his shoulders touching the ground, too dazed to move.

A groan escaped him. "Caitlin..."

"Ah, jeez, Derek! You have a fever; get back in bed!"

The boy pulled his legs off the bed and sat there on the floor, rubbing his head with his left hand. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the bright light that shone above them from the white ceiling. Standing on the opposite side of the bed were Nurse Joy and Caitlin.

Feeling his right hand weigh uncomfortably heavily on the ground, he turned to it in confusion. A black splint adorned his wrist, reaching past his wrist and to his fingers. He couldn't even twitch his wrist, and any attempts to try sent a jolt of pain through him.

Noticing his actions, the amber-eyed girl scowled at him, stepped around the bed towards him, and held out her hand. "C'mon, if you're awake, at least get up and eat something."

He shook his head but immediately regretted it; pain flashed through him, as if his brain itself were being battered by a hammer. "Ughh..."

"No groaning!"

"But _Mother_," Derek snapped, glaring at the girl. He took her hand reluctantly, and, with a surprising strength for her size, she pulled him back into a standing position. She pushed him in to a sitting position on the bed. "Please, Nurse Joy, I appreciate the concern, but—"

"Now, now, Derek," the nurse chastised, her vibrant hair blinding to his tired eyes. She, too, stepped towards him and stood beside Caitlin. "You may not be in the greatest shape, but that's no reason to snap at your friend. Now!" She pointed to the bed sheets. "Back in the bed!"

He frowned at her tone of voice; it was too much like that of a strict mother. "Nurse Joy, to be honest, I feel perfectly—"

"Perfectly fine? You have a fever of over thirty-eight degrees—you have to be kidding me!"

"But that's _normal _for me!" he protested.

"Nonsense!" she scoffed. "Who's ever heard of a child with a _normal _temperature of thirty-eight? That's just nonsensical! Non-scientific! You need sleep, Derek, and that's that!"

The terms she used convinced him ever so slightly (as he was also rather reliant on scientific facts), but he still couldn't help his discontent. "As long as you don't use the wet cloth... I don't have very good reactions to water, especially not cold."

"Of course you don't; you're completely dehydrated, you are. Why, I haven't seen you sweat even once in this heat of yours." The nurse gave a _tut_ with her tongue and turned to the girl beside her. "I'll be right back, so do make sure he doesn't do anything rash, all right?"

"Of course!" Caitlin said.

Nurse Joy gave Derek one last sympathetic look before leaving through the door and closing it behind herself. Derek frowned; she was caring, and he appreciated it, but her behavior proved that this had obviously become some level of routine to her. She didn't seem to realize that he was the exception to the norm.

He sighed. He had only just woken up, but already he was too exhausted to continue with the rest of the day.

"So?"

Derek glanced up towards the girl, whose amber eyes were glowing. "Yeah, Caitlin?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Well?"

"_What_?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?"

Her arms fell from her chest, only to find their way to her hips. She shook her head and sighed. "Derek, don't you even remember what happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday? I battled Lt. Surge—"

"That was _two _days ago. We met yesterday, and you met Ciel, too." Her right eyebrow raised slightly.

He mimicked the action, though he also raised his right hand up for her to see. "Oh, right. Sorry, must have gotten the days wrong. What happened to my wrist?"

"Fractured. Something about a guy named Colles. Maybe he's a doctor?" Caitlin held her hand to her chin in the classic thinking position. "Well, whatever. You seem to be in a good mood, despite everything that happened."

"Same to you." Derek frowned. "What happened? Did I lose to Lt. Surge?"

This time, the girl couldn't seem to hold back her exasperation; she slapped a hand to her forehead so hard that the _smack_ rang through the room. She let out a small "Ouch!" and rubbed the spot.

He stared at her in disbelief as she groaned in pain. "Are you an airhead?"

"S-shut up!" she snapped, her cheeks reddening. "It's not very mature of you to insult people, you know!"

"It's not very mature of you to facepalm and _hurt _yourself doing so," Derek pointed out, leaning back on the bed. When she opened her mouth to respond to that with an obvious retort on her lips, he quickly intervened with, "What happened? Am I forgetting something?"

The girl froze for a second, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Her mouth, which was still open from her unsaid retort, slowly closed. Her hands fell from her hips as she turned away from Derek, scratching the back of her neck in an obvious sign of anxiety.

He heard her take a deep breath before she began speaking. "Well... The battle with the terrorist guy, remember?"

_The terrorist guy? _"Who are you—"

_"My name? Of course, if you want to know. I am Major Louis Archer of the Kanto branch. I'm here to recruit anybody who's strong enough."_

He blinked in confusion for a moment, but the memories kept flooding into him, reminding him of what he had forgotten.

_ "Do you even know how to use a gun?" Louis asked. He didn't even move from his position. "I seriously doubt you can."_

_ Slightly irritated, Derek held the gun in his right hand and pointed it at Louis, his finger on the trigger. "All I have to do is point and shoot, no?"_

_ "Archer..."_

_ He looked up at the sound of Aewir's cold voice piercing the silence. The atmosphere of the battlefield had changed greatly; it was as if the temperature had dropped ten degrees with his mere presence. The teenager, with his hands in his pockets and his head turning to view the grounds, was as calm as one could be—and overly so for the situation._

_ He turned to the major slowly. In his hand was the black pistol. The thought that it might be used sent a shiver down Derek's spine; the fact that it hadn't worked before didn't seem to hold true for Aewir._

_ "...Major Louis Archer."_

He raised his head to the ceiling and shut his eyes as hard as he could. Cold resignation of acceptance towards what had happened—that was all he could give. Suddenly, he felt like crying, and he stared back down at his lap to hold back any tears that formed in his eyes. "Damn it, Caitlin..."

"...Sorry." Her voice was soft but sounded practiced, as if she had seen people break down just like him before.

He suddenly looked up, a feeling of slight panic overtaking him at the thought. "Wait... What about Damion? And Ciel? And all our Pokémon—"

"They're all right," Caitlin assured him. She averted her gaze and walked out of his line of sight to the other side of the bed. He felt the mattress move lightly as she sat down. "Ciel took it a lot like you... He calmed down after a few minutes, but then he wouldn't even talk."

"And Damion?" He glanced behind him only to see the back of her head. "That kid—he's probably just laughing at it now, right?"

He could hear the fragile hope in his voice, the wistful thinking that invaded his question, but Caitlin only shook her head. "He... I don't know. He seemed to be all right, but... I battled him, you know. And he told me some stuff before we battled, and some stuff while we battled. I could sorta tell what kind of person he was from that."

"A joyful idiot?"

"A _lovable_, joyful idiot," Caitlin corrected. She shifted her weight, and Derek felt her back press against his. "But today, he didn't talk as much. He wasn't smiling. He didn't tell stories and laugh about how you two 'suck at cooking' or 'can't tell an Oran Berry from a Pecha Berry.'"

"That story is utter Tauros crap, if you don't mind me saying," Derek cut in. "I was half-asleep when he asked me, so don't..." The mood and depression slowly quieted him, and he could barely even finish his sentence. "...don't take it...seriously..."

"'Don't take it seriously...'" Caitlin echoed in a soft murmur. "Yeah... That's the best advice I can give, Derek. Don't take it seriously. The battle's over, the day's over, so we can just—"

"Just move on? Just forget the whole thing?" he cut in. He could hardly even believe that she had the nerve to say such a thing. Without even thinking, he stood up off the bed, turned to her, and said in a low voice, "Caitlin, I don't know about you, but I'm different from that. I—"

"You want to beat him the next time you see him? You want to battle him again and show that you weren't as weak as he thought?" She turned her head just enough so that he could see her golden eye gazing at him. "Is that really what you want?"

He gave her a puzzled look, to which she responded with a sigh and turned away again. "Damion said the same thing before he ran off."

"Damion did?"

"Of course he did. Can't take my word for it?"

"That's not it." Derek gazed past Caitlin towards the window, staring at the sunny day outside reflected on the surface of the ocean waters. He could imagine Damion out there, gazing at the deep depths, looking off towards a world he had yet to reach. "Yeah, he's just that kind of person, isn't he? I guess he's begun to affect me."

He gave a bitter, fake chuckle, but even that soon faded from him. He let out a breath before crawling over the bed to sit next to Caitlin. He didn't look at her, though, and stared down at his hands on his lap. "What happened when you fought Arin, Caitlin? Just losing wouldn't affect Damion so badly. Was it because of Serin...?"

"I think that affected him, too, but more than that..." Caitlin's voice trailed off into silence. He turned to her in confusion, only to see her gazing at him with a sad smile. "I said that I knew the type of person he was, right? That was a lie. I just saw similarities between him and me, so I thought I could understand him. And I do."

Derek frowned. "I don't follow...?"

She let her head fall and let out a sigh. "Oh, you're hopeless. Damion wanted to help you, I think. That's why he got reckless. I would have done the same if it were Ci—"

Her face suddenly went red. She straightened her head and backed away, waving her arms in front of her as if there were a Bug Pokémon or something in her face. Her expression was priceless: completely flushed with embarrassment. "W-w-w-wait, that's not what I meant!"

He gave her an amused look. "Hm? Not what you meant, huh? Whatever _did _you mean, then?"

"Agh! Derek, you're such a bully!" she said, flailing her arms around. "Don't you dare tell anyone, you hear me? Don't you dare!"

"Yes, yes, Mother," he said, almost smiling at her actions. He patted her on the head with a nod, making her look up at him with a pout. "Don't worry about it. But besides that, I should really get out of here..."

He paused. "Wait, what happened to Nurse Joy? I thought she was going to 'be right back'?"

The blushing girl looked up from her chagrined movements with a look of curiosity. "That's right... Maybe she got distracted by something?"

The two gave each other confused looks. It was definitely odd that she was taking so long, especially considering how uptight she seemed about him getting better as quickly as possible. If she wasn't back already, then there were only a handful of possible explanations...

A sudden thought—no, a sudden feeling hit him. He got up from the bed and went to the door, not even hearing Caitlin speaking to him from behind. All he could think about was the strange feeling he had: someone was outside the door.

Curiously, he opened it, but he saw no one in front of the doorway. He peeked into the hall, yet the only thing that he saw was the glossy wooden floor and a few doors in the walls. Stepping outside, he walked towards where the stairs to the first floor were.

The sounds of voices traveled up from below. Annoyed words like "Get back here!" and "Hey! Not that way!" reached him, coming from the pink-haired nurse that he was looking for. He frowned at what she was saying and rushed to the stairs, to the carpeted grounds of the first floor, to one of the most ridiculous scenes he had seen on his journey yet.

Caitlin walked down from the stairs behind him, a ferocious expression on her face. "Hey! Don't just leave me like—like... Huh?"

She slowed to a stop next to him, staring at the scene for a few seconds. Then, she burst into laughter.

_Pandemonium _was the only word that could describe the scene. Soran, Zorro, and Aurora were crowded around in a circle, the former two letting out whooping noises. Damion, Caitlin, and Ciel's Pokémon were all running around, letting out similar noises, all the while bewildering the frazzled nurse. At her side stood Flare, his eyes closed and most of his body heavily bandaged.

The nurse shook her head in dismay and turned to the Charmeleon. He merely looked up at her with a faint smile on his lips, waved his tail through the air, and patted her on the side with a clawed hand.

"Well," Derek said, walking towards the nurse and giving her a look of amusement. She only gave him a halfhearted laugh. "This is...incredible."

"You know you should be in bed, right?" she said, though her tone wasn't at all serious.

"You know you said you'd be right back, right?" He turned to his Pokémon, and with the loudest voice he could make without tearing his parched throat, he shouted, "Oi! What's up, guys?"

The three Pokémon turned to him immediately. He waved towards them with his left hand, keeping his right behind his back. Soran jumped towards him, clearing a distance of several meters with ease. Before he could even be surprised by how energetic she was, he was met face-first with a full-on Quick Attack, knocking him back onto the ground.

His back hit the carpeted floor lightly, but he still made a show of groaning in pain as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Ah, c'mon Soran—ouch, not again!"

The Eevee had bit him on the arm again, though when she pulled away, the skin was only slightly pink. He let out a breath of slight amusement and stroked her on the head, glancing up at a tearful Zorro.

"Can Magnemite even cry?" he asked rhetorically. "You look—gah, I don't have my gloves on!"

Without even caring for what he was saying, the Magnet Pokémon rushed towards him, sparking with electrical light. The moment they made contact, Derek felt a light shock run through him—but it was a funny feeling rather than painful, as if he were being tickled lightly. It buried its face (head? Body?) in his shirt, and he held the Pokémon to his chest with his splint-adorned right hand.

He glanced up towards Aurora and gave her the warmest smile he could fake. "Well?"

The Lapras slowly crawled towards him, her eyes shining with what seemed to be tears. She let out a low moan, gazing at his hand with sad eyes. As she came closer, she pressed her nose against the splint lightly, making the same noise from before.

Removing his hand from Zorro, who was still flowing electricity into him, he stroked her neck. "It's really nothing. Just fractured something, I think."

"Auuu..."

Aurora moved out of his sight of vision, though he followed her by turning his head. For a minute, he was confused by her actions, but she merely pointed a flipper towards where she had been standing just a few moments prior.

Not sure what to expect, he glanced back at the spot—and promptly let out a shout.

"_Kutsune_?"

His pink little friend was no longer "little"; the Caterpie had grown into a Metapod just a week ago, but now she had shed her shell to show her final evolutionary form. Her sleek wings tinted pink mixed with a shade of white were marked with an inky black pattern and connected to her pink torso. Her four pale blue feet gave her new limbs to use; her two "forelegs" were more akin to small, three-fingered hands.

Her flight was clumsy, but still her large reddish eyes had a certain stubborn light to them that had stayed with her since her life as a Caterpie. She slowly flew towards him, flapping her new wings with difficulty before finally managing to perch on his head.

He patted her lightly, glancing up at her. "Well, look who we have here. Didn't you grow up to be pretty, hm?"

Slightly different from usual (though with the same emotion behind it), she slapped him with her wing rather than shooting a String Shot. He almost laughed at the action and simply said, "Hey, it's a compliment."

"You had a pink Butterfree?" he heard Caitlin call from a few feet away. He turned his head to see her with a Pichu in her arms as she sat in a similar position to his, stroking the Flaaffy that lay on the ground next to her. "She's so pretty!"

Before Kutsune could shoot a String Shot at the amazed girl, Derek bent back suddenly and forced the Butterfree to flap her wings to keep her balance on his head. "Yep. She was a Metapod last time I saw... Must be why all the Pokémon were freaking out—no, partying."

"Crazy party," Caitlin said, shaking her head. Her expression said all to well that she was holding back her laughter.

Derek merely nodded before turning around to Nurse Joy. She chuckled at him, and he could easily guess why. He must have looked ridiculous with all the Pokémon on him. Still, she managed to say in a serious voice, "I have to say, I'm glad that you two came out. These Pokémon just wouldn't listen to me."

Lifting up his left arm, he gave Soran a frown. "Hey, I thought I told you to control the team whenever I wasn't around?"

"Ee, Eevee vee ee," she said in response.

He sighed. As if he would understand any of that.

The Charmeleon beside Nurse Joy was gone; instead, he had apparently calmed the others down. Derek saw out of the corner of his eye Shion the Marill staring up at Flare with a look of amazement, saying something in her language. He could guess what: probably something along the lines of "When did you evolve?"

Flare gave her a short answer, probably something like "Yesterday" or "Guess," making Derek shake his head internally. He obviously hadn't been the best example for his Pokémon.

"Sorry, Nurse Joy. Pokémon just tend to take after their Trainers."

The nurse only laughed and left it at that, which Derek couldn't argue with. The mood was just what he needed to refresh himself after all the battling he had gone through. He seriously needed the break that he was getting.

-.-.-

With the Pokémon returned to their Poké Balls for the time being, Derek, back in his normal clothes, stood there alone in the lounge with Flare next to him. He bent his knees and knelt by Flare, holding out a hand. "Thank you for yesterday. I know that it would have gotten a lot worse if you hadn't done what you did. I'm sorry that I couldn't help."

The Charmeleon grunted, giving Derek a shake of his head. He pointed a claw at Derek's forehead, and even though what he said was nothing more than gibberish to him, Derek understood the meaning behind Flare's actions: "_Don't go losing your head, all right_?"

He only nodded, lowering his hand. "You really are a lot like me, huh, Flare? I remember doing some similar stuff with...with..."

His voice faded into silence as a thought hit him harder than a physical words Caitlin had said to him came to mind:_"Damion said the same thing before he ran off."_

It was probably just a bad choice of words, he told himself. It wasn't what he thought it was. Even so, the apprehensive feeling failed to leave him, and he felt himself grow sick with a creeping anxiety. Regardless of whether or not he was misunderstanding what Caitlin had said, the fact remained that Damion had run away from her to escape the reality of the situation.

Damion wouldn't do that. No, Damion _couldn't _do that. The boy was too much of an idiot to even understand what losing really felt like—that was how it was supposed to be.

Derek turned to Flare, unable to hold himself back. "I'm sorry, Flare. I'm going to have to return you now; I have to go bring that idiot back."

The Charmeleon merely shrugged and returned himself to the Poké Ball with the press of the button. Derek immediately got to his feet and turned towards the exit.

_Damion..._

He rushed out the door and into the sunlit city.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Unfortunately, I pulled a three-chapter recovery arc. I know, it's like Blueland Town all over again, but this time it's in reverse. Derek's helping _them_, =D I'll admit, the arc's only this long because I didn't want to condense it into one... I wanted to give each character a special chapter, ^^;;****  
><strong>

**On another note, I hate high school! SUCKS. So much work, not enough sleep, and I definitely bit off more than I can chew with all my activities and crap. It's almost 3 am right now, September 10, so please forgive me. Know that I tried my hardest to get these out on time and that I missed by just a few hours.  
><strong>

**Speaking of which, I do have to say, Lost Memories, Revamped! will be coming along slowly but surely. 31 is almost complete, but Yuki's difficult to write about... I don't know, I'll figure out something, but please wait for a while. I know that you guys understand.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Fire'sFly - You, sir, are awesome. I friggin' love your reviews. Like, honestly. It pumps me up when someone actually gives me concrit, but please forgive me if it looks like I'm not acting on it. It takes time for me to implement it, ^^;; But really, thanks for your constant support. It's awesome, really.<br>**

**Also, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the whole "save the world" plot. It's kinda iffy at the moment, as are Derek's other goals. I've managed to sidetrack him successfully, but... Well, in the future, he'll find a clue about Yuki and just forget everything, I guess...?  
><strong>

**Ikits - ...do I even need to say anything when we have YIM?  
><strong>

**Read the next chapter, folks, there's three more after this!  
><strong>


	28. Straight as a Circle

Where would he go?

The question burned in Derek's mind, swallowing up all other thoughts and worries into an infernal blaze. He doubted Damion had ever been to Vermilion City before, and even if he had, it probably wouldn't have been for a very long time.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. No, he couldn't assume. He knew next to nothing about his partner, and even if the truth stung, it was fact. He had never actually made an effort to learn what kind of person Damion really was under that happy face. He didn't know anything about his likes, his dislikes, his habits, his personality, his attitude—he didn't know anything at all.

It was only in this kind of situation that he realized that he was making the same mistake that he had made with Yuki: keeping a safe distance away. If he had just made that _little _effort to break his own shyness, to shatter that wall that separated them, then he would know where Damion had gone—no, Damion wouldn't have even left in the first place. The boy would have known that Derek would have listened to anything he had to say.

The memory of Richard Lightwood suddenly hit him, and he felt himself slow to a stop on the street, his breath coming in pants. He had said that he understood what his problem was. He thought he had understood why he couldn't get over his loss to Emily Rose, and why he had to be a Trainer.

_ "I am a Trainer because I have friends. My Pokémon are some of them. But Chris, too. And Damion. They're all my friends. And … and I want to be a Trainer. That's why I'll be one. Not just because I have someone waiting for me, but because this is something I want to do myself."_

He was a Trainer because he had friends. That was, without a shadow of a doubt, the truth. But while Damion was _his_ friend, he had never made the effort to become _Damion's_ friend.

The realization brought a stinging pain to his eyes, but he wouldn't cry. Yuki had never cried, even when he lied to her, betrayed her feelings, just because he wanted to keep himself safe. He had no _right _to cry when he had caused what was happening now.

_Find him_, he told himself. _Find him. Bring him back. Tell him what you should tell him._

His breath was steady again. He immediately began running once more, weaving through the civilians and dashing along the pavement as fast as his tired, weakened body could. Nurse Joy would definitely have something to say to him when he got back, and Caitlin would definitely tell him he was being irresponsible—but Damion was his first priority.

He hardened his resolve and began searching the city for Damion, discarding any doubts that remained in his mind.

-.-.-

As the sun began to set, Derek's resolve began to waver.

He had checked every major building in the city, swallowed down any shyness that held him back, and asked the employees and civilians alike if they had seen Damion. He had visited every store he could imagine Damion entering and asked the same question. He even asked a few of the people on the street, but all he got in response was "No."

Still, he had enough energy to keep running around until nighttime. He nodded to himself and began sprinting again, looking for anything he had missed from before. Whether it was a park, a sweets store, or even a ramen shop, he wasn't going to pass over it this time.

As he made to round the corner, though, he saw someone come into sight from behind it. Reacting with an instinct born from both training and all the games he had played as a kid, he dug his feet into the ground and made to rotate his body to slip past the person. His clumsiness struck at the worst possible moment, though, and he only succeeded in tripping over his own feet—crashing directly into the person as a result.

It felt as if he had crashed into a wall of steel or something. He was knocked back and nearly fell over, but the person grabbed him by the arm with lightning-fast speed, dragging Derek back into a steady position.

The boy immediately lowered his head, gave an apology, and made to run past the person, but the grip on his arm didn't lessen at all. Rather, it seemed to grow stronger by the second until it reached a painful level. He winced and let out an involuntary "Ouch!" before glaring up at the person. "Excuse me, bu...t..."

His voice trailed off into silence as he stared into Aewir's black eyes. He was wearing similar clothes to the day before, though he had changed his shirt and pants into more comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. A gray undershirt peeked out from underneath. Even his long, knee-length jacket was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced with a thin, unzipped hoodie of a dark blue shade.

He made a "Mm" sound, making Derek blink. The Gym Leader released his grip on Derek's arm to grab a smooth, rectangular stick with rounded corners out of his mouth. The boy blinked at the strange blue ice on the stick. "Sorry 'bout that. Though, you should watch where you're going, kiddo."

Derek could hardly even pay attention to what he had just said. "What..._is _that?"

"What, this?" Aewir gave Derek an odd look. "Gym Leaders like to indulge themselves sometimes, too, you know."

"No, but _what _is it?" Derek insisted.

"...A popsicle. I thought all kids ate them." Aewir shrugged. "No, I guess I thought _all _people ate them, not just kids."

Derek's curiosity towards the strange ice stick was so great that he momentarily forgot why he was even standing there, though he promptly remembered and shook his head. "Wait, actually, I have to go—"

The teenager thrust a black plastic bag into Derek's hands, making the boy look up. "I'm keeping the Coke, but you should at least try one of these."

Without even waiting for Derek to respond, Aewir waved a hand, put the "popsicle" back in his mouth, and walked off towards the direction of the Pokémon Center. Before he disappeared completely, Derek called out, "Wait, Aewir!"

He turned, and Derek experienced a heavy wave of d_éjà_ vu. "Sorry... Um, have you seen—?"

"Ah, right. You should go check out the beach with your friends later, since there's still two days until the Indigo League. Maybe even throw someone in a swimsuit...or not." He shook his head. "Yeah, don't. Forgot you're only ten."

"...What? No, I was going to ask if you'd—"

"It's a good place. If you go on the pier, you can get a good view of the sunrise and sunset. You should go check it out now, see if you like it, make any plans, et cetera."

"...no, I was going to ask—"

"Anyway, I'd best be off. See you."

"Oh _c'mon_!" Derek exclaimed, watching Aewir leave. "I was just going to ask—oh, you know what, forget it!"

He rounded the corner and didn't bother looking back, frustration pumping in his veins. The urge to punch something was suddenly extremely strong, but with a sigh, he merely slapped a hand to his forehead and raised his head to the sky.

_Damn it, Damion..._

He started walking again, not even bothering to look at where he was going. His feet dragged, but he ignored his own exhaustion; he could only force himself forward towards what he wasn't sure he could find. It was self-satisfaction, he knew, yet it was the only thing he could think about doing. He wasn't even sure if he was looking for _Damion_ anymore. Perhaps he was just looking for the vague shadow of a memory that still lingered in his mind, long after Yuki had disappeared.

A bitter smile pulled at his lips. All he could think about was himself, even if he tried to deny it. Maybe he was trying to do something righteous, something just, but in the end, it was all for his own reasons. He had never even thought about what Damion was going through. Serin had almost been killed, and Damion had been powerless to protect her. Even revenge had been out of reach; Louis had just been overbearingly powerful.

_Just like Emily Rose..._

He, too, had moped around. He knew that. It must have been sad to see how pathetic he was, how useless he had become after a single loss. There had been no getting around that loss, and he only recovered because the battle itself had been nothing but that—a battle.

But Damion had fought a fight outside of Trainer regulations. Four-on-one, and they had still lost. It left a sour taste in Derek's mouth and a feeling reminiscent of how he had felt after losing to Emily Rose. It was different, though; that fight with Louis hadn't been a battle; it hadn't been anything more than merely a brawl, than senseless violence.

Again, he couldn't help but wonder whether being a Trainer was really a good thing. Did Soran and the others hate him for forcing them to fight in those Trainer battles? Did winning even mean anything to them, like it did for him? He wasn't the strong one. His commands were almost always slow, and he was usually one step behind, resulting in all of their injuries.

Ciel had proven that Derek wasn't talented. He thought he had known that after being compared to Michael, to Aliana, even to Jane—but no, he had retained a small sense of pride that he was a Risque. Even after losing to Emily, he hadn't discarded that pride that now ached from the consecutive losses he had faced.

He slowed to a stop. Without even noticing it, he found that he had brought himself to the very beach Aewir had been talking about. The sandy shore was several tens of feet down, and he noticed he was on a hill of sorts. While normally he would have just jumped down, a fence directly against the edge of the steep and rocky cliff-like edge of the hill warned him from doing just that.

Instead of moving on, he appreciated the view and gazed towards the waters. Planks connected to the shoreline made for a pathway that made up the pier he had been told about.

And at the end of the path, leaning against the wooden railing and staring off into the distance, stood Damion.

For a minute, Derek could only watch the boy in amazement. He seemed to glow as the water reflected the reds, oranges, and yellows of the setting sun and redirected them towards him. Encompassed in the myriad of colors, he seemed as if he were a being above that of a human—something divine or celestial. The bare skin that was visible under the light was a color not unlike the sun itself, as if the boy were a miniature sun wearing a human mask.

He felt his eyes water, and his vision blurred. It was so fitting, now that he thought about it. A boy as bright and happy as the sun would be the only one worthy of _being _the sun.

Almost as if he noticed something, Damion slowly—ever so slowly—turned his head. His green eyes were alight with a glow visible even from so far away, and the words his lips formed seemed to reach him.

The whole world fell silent for a second.

"De...rek."

Before he knew it, the name of the boy was on his lips, as well. He shook his head; he was getting too caught up in the moment. He felt his face heat up as he realized how wrongly the situation could have been taken by and outside, and, raising his gaze to the sky, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'M NOT GAY, DAMN IT!"

The words echoed in the silence, accompanied only by the lonely sweeping of the ocean tide. He lowered his gaze back to Damion, who was staring at him with a bemused expression. Derek wasn't sure whether he was more embarrassed with the situation or the shout, but he forced the thoughts aside and jumped over the fence, dropping to the soft sands below lightly.

He took deliberately slow steps towards Damion, who only watched in silence. It felt like an eternity, with each step weighing down in the sand heavier than the last until it took everything he had to just continue walking.

By the time he reached the pier, the sun was almost out of sight, with only a quarter of the circle left to illuminate the world. He stepped onto the wooden planks, feeling them creak and shudder underneath him, and walked towards Damion without even a second's hesitation.

His legs finally refused to move at all, so he stood there, just a few feet away from Damion. The boy hesitantly made to get off the railing, but something held him back. He shied away, back into a silent position, unable to meet Derek's eyes.

He had never been the patient type. He let out a sigh and gazed towards the watery depths of the ocean. A strange feeling seemed to bubble in his chest, making his heart thump with a harsh beat. Perhaps it was relief, or maybe just a resulting consequence from holding his anxiety and worries in for so long, but he shuffled his feet in discomfort.

Apparently taking this as his fault, Damion pushed himself off the railing and turned to Derek in full. He went as far as to lower his head before saying, "I'm sorry, Derek."

"Hm? About what?"

The boy looked up, his expression completely dumbstruck. Derek only gave him an amused glance and said, "Well, isn't that what you said to me back in Blueland Town?"

"A-ah... I did say that, didn't I?" He gave a small smile, but his eyes showed what he truly felt all too well. "But I really am sorry, Derek. It was my fault that...that _that _happened."

Derek raised his right hand into Damion's field of vision, and the boy's eyes widened in horror. "He didn't care what or who he hurt, Damion. He almost killed Serin. Flare isn't going to recover completely for another week, probably. Even I'm not going to be able to travel for another few days, especially because I strained myself to the point of exhaustion today."

The boy's eyes glistened with a watery light.

"So, who's fault is that? I'll admit, it's not _not _your fault. But it's my fault, too. You see Ciel and Caitlin—they didn't let their Pokémon get hurt, and _they_'re fine, too. Just look at us, though. A broken wrist and two half-dead Pokémon."

The words escaped him with a venomous growl. He gave Damion a harsh look, and the boy flinched. "But you know what? At the end of the day, you have to get back up. You have to win the Indigo League. I've partnered up with you for the time being, but I have my own goals, too. We have stuff to do, Damion, and I'm not going to let my partner be a coward and tiptoe around that fact."

"But..." The boy's voice shook, and he sounded close to crying. "But what if I can't? What if I can't protect you again?"

Derek blinked, losing the momentum he had been building in an instant. "Wait, what?"

"What if I can't protect you?" he repeated with a moan. "I've been trying and trying, but no matter how much I try to learn, when it comes down to it, I just got scared and got everyone hurt."

"Why are _you _trying to protect _me_?" Derek asked. He couldn't keep the bewilderment out of his voice. "When...what..._huh_? That's _my _job!"

"People are supposed to protect their friends!"

"Like I said—"

Derek stopped himself as a tear fell to the ground, coloring the wood a dark shade. He looked up at Damion, whose eyes were shadowed by his hair. The trail left on his cheek was too obvious for Derek to pretend he hadn't noticed—but he tried, anyway.

He reached into the bag and pulled out what was inside: two freezing-cold packages of what he assumed were popsicles, a six-pack box of Cokes, and two small convenience store boxed lunches. He laid them out on the ground on top of the plastic bag, though he kept the two popsicles in his hand.

With the softest tone he could muster, Derek said quietly, "I bet you're starving."

Damion shook his head in response. Derek, expecting this reaction, slapped a popsticle against Damion's face, making the boy jump in shock. Amusement flooded Derek, and he almost laughed. "That's what you get for lying. Hurry up and eat; the Cokes are already getting warm. Besides, I'm hungry even if you aren't, since I was looking for you all this time."

"I..."

"Yeah, you're sorry. Sorry enough for me to pity you. Now eat, damn it." He bent over and picked up one of the lunches, feeling the cardboard box weigh down in his hand. "...How do you open this, anyway?"

Damion looked up, his eyes tinged red. He held out a hand, so Derek gave it to him. The boy pulled at one of the longer sides of the rectangular box, slipping it out from some sort of lock or something. Derek couldn't make heads or tails of it, but the box opened up like a door on hinges.

It was a rather amazing little thing, Derek thought. A fork and spoon were taped to the inside of the box's lid, and he pulled the fork out to poke some of the contents of the lunch box. Something that looked like a hamburger patty broke open to reveal that it was simply tofu, which was both relieving and disappointing.

"I'm not sure what they make hamburgers out of, now that I think about it..." Derek gazed down at the rice and vegetables that filled up the rest of the lunchbox. "Miltank? Tauros? Ugh, I don't think I _want _to know, actually..."

Damion gave a reluctant smile and handed the box back to Derek, who took it with a "Thanks." They both sat down on opposite sides of the plastic bag, and Derek pulled out two of the Coke cans, handing Damion one.

They popped them open in unison, earning Derek another smile from Damion. They bumped cans and then took tentative sips, confirming that they were still a good temperature (albeit a bit warm). The draughts they took after that nearly half-emptied each of their cans.

Setting the aluminum next to him on the wooden pier, Damion smiled as he opened up his lunchbox. "Thanks, Derek."

"I hate peas..." Derek poked the greens out from the depths of the rice and looked up. "I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

Damion only chuckled. "No, it's nothing." He took the fork and spoon from the box, held them each in one hand, and said, "Let's eat!"

"I'd do that without you announcing it!"

He hardly even tasted the food as he chewed it down. He was sure that he was the hungrier one of the two, but no one would have guessed that from the way Damion was eating. It was a nostalgic feeling, and Derek couldn't help but feel that they had been off the road for too long. Every night without seeing Damion shove a plateful of food into his mouth and then choke at the taste was one night with that much humor lost.

The boy, noticing Derek watching him, looked up and asked, "Do I have something on my face?"

"No, but I do hope you realize I'm not going to share mine with yours."

"Who said I wanted it?"

"Your stomach?"

Damion flushed a shade of pink and returned to eating his meal in silence. Derek only shrugged his shoulders and resumed his meal, flicking a pea or two at Damion just for the fun of it.

It was only a minute or two before they both put down the empty boxes, downed the rest of their Cokes, and gave each other odd looks at their seemingly perfect synchronization. Damion laughed, while Derek just reached for the two popsicles.

He handed one to Damion, who tore it open immediately. Derek followed his example, reached inside, and pulled it out by the stick. They had miraculously survived the heat of the spring day, and Derek tasted it with a bit of hesitation.

"Arceus..."

"Hm?" His mouth stuffed, he could only make odd grunting noises. "Mm ufh nnh?"

Derek gave him a look of disgust before shaking his head. "No, I'm just wondering why I never knew what any of this stuff was before this journey. I guess I was missing a lot while back in _Isshu_... Not like it was any better back in Pallet Town."

Damion shrugged and pulled out the popsicle from his mouth. When he spoke, Derek noted that his tongue was a distinct blue color, which worried Derek slightly. "Well, seeing the ocean reminds me of a friend I had before in Pallet Town."

"Mm." Derek bit off a chunk of the popsicle, shuddering at a stinging sensation in his head at the freezing cold taste. "Gah. What kind of person was he?"

"_She_," Damion corrected with a smile. "Ummm... We only knew each other for a few days, but she was a very nice person. She had to go back to Sinnoh, though..."

"Sinnoh, huh." _That's where Snowpoint City is...but it's not like Yuki would ever go back there of her own free will. _"Are you going to go visit her after the Indigo League, or something?"

"Mmhmm! I heard that if you become a Champion, you get special rights to ride an inter...interna..."

"The international ferry?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I think it was called the S.S. Aqua?"

"There are several, but that's a good one, mm. You could always just buy a ticket, you know."

"They're pretty expensive, though," Damion said bashfully. "I mean, my family's not poor, but... That kind of thing is something I should get for myself, and an ordinary Trainer would have to save up a lot for that, you know?"

"I suppose that's true... It's not like you can just fly over there, either."

Damion nodded. "Well, it's kind of like two Pidgey with one Poké Ball, or however the saying goes."

"Might have been 'with one Rock Throw.'" Derek took another bite out of his popsicle and chewed it carefully. "I'm looking for a friend, too. I don't know where she is, though, so I'm just hoping for a clue or something. Plus, I got dragged into this with you, so I can't just ditch you or anything."

"So we're partners until the Indigo League?"

"Unfortunately, we're stuck together, yep."

The boy grinned. "So you're definitely not ditching me, right?"

"I already said I'm not, okay?"

"For sure? I mean, I don't wanna lose you like I lost her, so..."

Derek shook his head. "I'm not going to ditch you. Even if I did, you'd probably just chase me all the way to wherever I went, even if it were the bottom of the ocean."

"Isn't that because that's what friends do?"

"Stalk each other?"

"I've already told you, that was one time, and it wasn't even as bad as you say it is! Don't smile!" Damion groaned as Derek gave him a fake, teasing smirk. "Ugh... I'd stalk you if you want me to, though."

"I don't need your confession of love. I thought I shouted out that I wasn't gay?"

Damion paused. "You aren't happy?"

"I..." Derek gave Damion a look of confusion before letting out a breath of laughter. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what'd you mean?"

"...Well, Damion, normally, a man and a woman... Actually, nevermind. Just eat your damn popsicle."

"Oh c'mon, tell me! Now I'm curious!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No way in hell."

"C'mon, Derek!"

"Enough already!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I was trying to find a title for this chapter for quite a while. I wanted a pun on "breaking the ice" because of the popsicle thing, but I couldn't exactly use "breaking the ice cream..." So you get "Straight as a Circle," making fun of how gay Derek and Damion seem.**

**Now, if you don't get some stuff, Derek's never actually bought anything like this before. He knows what Coke is, obviously (it comes with pizza!), but he's never had those lunches you can just buy or ice cream or the like. Remember he lived in his room, and when he escaped, he was pretty much with a girl with just as little experience in the real world. After that, he lived with his uncle, so what do you expect?  
><strong>

**Fun stuff. Two more chaps to go, keep on going!  
><strong>


	29. Losses are Necessary!

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

The sound of the clock was the only thing that kept the silence at bay. Second after second in endless repetition, the hands of the clock followed their daily routine as the rhythmic sound guided them through the trials of time. They were in perfect harmony, walking through the steps with enviable ease and peerless organization.

_Tick. Tick._

Time wasn't going to slow down. That was what the clock was trying to convey to the children, the ones who weren't yet aware of how short life really was. With every passing second, one less second remained in life to live. If one were to realize how precious each second, each _tick _of the clock really was, they would never waste their time on pointless things again. But they wouldn't just gain drive; they would lose patience, as well.

_Tick._

That didn't mean that there weren't those who were impatient regardless of how leisurely they took their time in life. Impatient with boredom, impatient with friends, impatient with deadlines—it was all about time, yet they just wanted that time to do something else with just as little value. What did they know about the importance of life, anyway? What was truly important compared to day-to-day life when that was all one could see if they were to look? Was there something beyond the norm that nobody dared to try?

Rather than wasting time with entertainment, Derek found himself lost in these thoughts in that silent room. Did he have the right to talk and try to change things, or should he keep silent, keeping his opinions to himself? If there were clues to be given, he didn't see them. If one answer was right and the other wrong, he wasn't aware of what decided that.

Ciel obviously wasn't helping. He made no noise or any indication of moving from the bed he lay in; he simply sat there, his back against the wooden frame, his lower body hidden under the white bedsheets. His light blue eyes flecked with their silver coloring were unfocused, directed towards the hands that lay on his covered legs.

_Maybe I was just being arrogant, _Derek thought to himself, shifting his weight in the hard wooden chair he sat in. The lack of armrests furthered his discomfort, but it felt appropriate; he wasn't supposed to be sitting down and just waiting, anyway. Not when he had promised Caitlin that he would break Ciel out of his silent spell.

It was already noon, a full two days since the events of the fight with Louis, an entire three days since he had met Ciel and Caitlin, and thus a whole four days since his victory against Lt. Surge. Both Damion and Caitlin had recovered since their battles with the self-proclaimed major, but Ciel still remained silent, giving short answers when talked to and ignoring indirect remarks. It was the complete opposite of the impression he had given three days ago, where he had seemed the casual joking type like Damion.

Derek had to admit, it wasn't easy holding back the sharp words on his tongue. Caitlin had never even been affected by her loss, being as practical as she was, but Damion had taken it harshly. The solution had been simple for the exuberant and naturally happy boy—simply showing that Derek himself was hardly even injured, which had been Damion's main concern—but he couldn't see what he could do for Ciel, knowing next to nothing about him.

The night before had been spent pondering exactly that, but they hadn't produced any results between them despite all the time they devoted to it. Damion, apparently sugar-high off of too many cans of Coke (having drank four of the six in the pack from their dinner), had suggested throwing parties and eating lots of cake; Caitlin had dismissed the idea before he had even finished the word "parties." Trying for a serious mood, Derek had asked what kind of person Ciel was—only to get an honest response.

"I don't really know."

Derek couldn't blame her. Traveling partners were something most people had, yet Derek knew firsthand that many partners knew little more than each other's names and hometowns. In fact, Derek and Damion didn't even know each other's last names, having never brought up the topic or a real reason to share them. (Though, this was really only due to Derek avoiding the subject as best he could.)

Still, as he sat there in the silent room, listening to the clock mark each second with a perfectly timed _tick_, Derek felt a heavy amount of pressure. He had offered to try, so he was obligated to at least do that, but each time he considered an idea or topic, it seemed too wistful or stupid to work out in reality. It wasn't just obligation, either; he sincerely did want to help.

_It's pathetic that I lost to someone like this, _he told himself, and he forced himself to believe that that was the reason. It had absolutely nothing to do with him enjoying Ciel and Caitlin's company, and it definitely wasn't because he was sure Caitlin would get depressed if Ciel stayed like this for much longer.

Nope. Not at all.

He crossed his left leg over the other and rested his elbow against the raised leg, holding his hand to his cheek. Sitting for so long had begun to get to him, and he found himself fidgeting with his hands and feet. He longed to get up and do something, but he wouldn't allow himself any luxuries until Ciel was there to join him.

So just how was he supposed to do that...?

Derek forced himself to think about that. Caitlin hadn't exactly cheered him up; she had just distracted him with other worries, and he wasn't going to mope about a loss, either. Not after what had happened after Emily Rose; this was nothing compared to that...probably. He hadn't really gotten the time to really think about the loss, unlike Damion and Ciel, since he had been knocked out for most of the time.

Still...hadn't there been other problems he had helped people with? There was never a time in his family that anybody had relied on him—that was the painful truth. He had leaned on Aliana, his only support, while everyone else had brought him down to his knees. But there were other people he knew, as well...

Yuki. How had he ever helped her? She had always been helping him; just being there had been more than enough. Her kindness, her upbeat personality, her rationality—those had been the things that had kept him alive. It had all been thanks to her; everything. He was completely and utterly indebted to her.

He shook his head as hard as he could, causing his bangs to shadow his eyes at an odd angle. He brushed them out of his face, staring at the white tiled floor thoughtfully. If he couldn't think of a moment when _he _had helped someone, why not think of someone who had helped _him_? There were so many of those that he couldn't even count: Yuki, Damion, Aliana, Chris, Matthew, Aewir, Marina; even Brock and Flint, at that rate.

_Wait... _He had the strange feeling he was forgetting someone. Someone who had really helped him out of a pinch, when he had been at his absolute lowest.

_"Isn't that better than losing, at least? I'd rather feel satisfaction than disappointment."_

A flood of emotion filled Derek. The feeling was impossible to identify: a mix of relief, embarrassment, nostalgia, and too many others to name. The person who had picked him up off the ground after his devastating loss to Emily Rose.

_Richard smiled. "That's a fair point. But when you fail, you want to do better than before. It gives you a reason to continue, to strive forward. That's why all people need to lose at some point, or else they can never appreciate winning. Do you understand that?"_

He had answered that yes, he did understand. The words found their way from his throat, tickling at his lips and forcing them to break away from their irritated scowl.

"Losses are necessary!"

His exclamation rang throughout the room, making Ciel gaze up at him wearily. Derek, too caught up in his memories to even feel chagrined, leapt to his feet and gave Ciel a meaningful look.

"Well? They are. Humans need to compete to evolve. That's why we can grow past previous limits. It's part of human nature to lose! That's an inescapable fact—it's reality. Humans—need—to—lose!"

A flicker of light seemed to show in Ciel's eyes, illuminating the silver for a second. "So what?"

The question was obviously rhetorical, but Derek chose to act on it anyway. He stepped forward towards Ciel's bed, leaning forward with his hands on the wooden frame. "My question to you is much more important: whatare you fighting for? Is it such a meaningless goal that you can just forget about it because of one little loss?"

"No." A dangerous expression spread across Ciel's face. "No, it isn't. But that's not important."

"It _is_!" Derek insisted. Throwing caution to the wind, he said, "I got my ass kicked. Damion and Caitlin got their asses kicked. So _what_? That's exactly what I want to ask. If we can't pick ourselves up off the floors, what does that make us as Trainers?"

"It makes us who we are. A human only shows his or her true colors under a life-or-death situation."

"Exactly. Did we run? Did we sacrifice each other? Did we try to offer our Pokémon in exchange for our lives? Did we give up, stand down, and _let _him win?"

Some sort of emotion began to show on Ciel's face: indignation. "Of course not."

"Then what? We just weren't strong enough, then. Being human is all about self-satisfaction! I doubt anybody in the world is one-hundred percent altruistic. I never won when I was a kid, but I retained pride. And you know what? That was good. I nearly got my Pokémon killed in a battle back after my Gym battle in Cerulean."

Ciel gave no indication of caring, but Derek didn't take it to heart.

"You know what happened after that? I still kept my pride. And then I got trashed by you. What then? I didn't go all depressed about it. Even after Louis—so what? He has years and years of experience over us. If anything, I should be the one who—"

"Shut it."

"—is...is...huh?"

Derek blinked, unable to hold back his confusion. Ciel only gave him a murderous look, tore the covers off, and stood up from the bed. In a seemingly unending silence, he closed in on Derek and grabbed the boy by the collar, his expression shadowed as he lowered his head.

"Derek." His voice was calm but terrifyingly cold.

It took all Derek had not to retaliate. The sudden silence broken only by the clock seemed to hold him back. "Y-yeah?"

"What do you think?"

He kept his silence, knowing that Ciel wasn't waiting for an answer.

"...About this whole thing. I don't know. I could've done better. I thought that by beating you, I might prove something, but in the end that Louis guy still beat us up. And it wasn't just you and me, either."

The grip on his collar tightened all of a sudden, threatening to tear the fabric. Derek was forcibly reminded of his battle with Louis, and for a second, he could only see the faint memory overlapping with reality.

"Caitlin got hurt. Our Pokémon got hurt. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do." Derek clenched the fingers of his right hand tightly, feeling the splint try to stop the movement. "Why wouldn't I?"

"We're just kids. I realize that. But there's gotta be something we can do about this. We're not _weak_, you and I. Are we, Derek?"

The boy raised his hand and placed it on Ciel's, feeling the boy tremble underneath him. "No. No, we're not."

Ciel raised his head just enough for his eyes to meet Derek. They weren't remorseful or tinged with sadness; they showed a light of understanding. "My goal was to become the best, at first. I wanted to prove to my mom and dad that I wasn't just an ordinary kid, even if we were an ordinary family living ordinary lives."

"What's wrong with that?" Derek muttered.

"Nothing. It was a childish dream, though. I wanted to outlive something, outlive some_one_, and that was what led me forward. But that's not right...is it?"

_How would I know? _Derek wanted to say. _I'm fighting for the same thing!_

Ciel shook his head, letting his hair fall across his face. "Fighting Louis... It didn't teach me anything. But it did make me realize that what I'm fighting for is different, now. I want to keep going on this journey with friends around me. That's not a bad reason, is it?"

"No... It isn't."

"And we will do something, right? We'll beat up Louis if we ever meet him again. Not for us, but for our friends who got hurt."

"Didn't you hear me?" Derek said, feeling Ciel slowly release his grip. They pulled their hands away, and he gave Ciel an almost amused look. "Humans are all about self-satisfaction. You're obviously not human if you're going to try something like that."

"Then I'll accept that." Ciel straightened up, giving Derek a faint smile. "What's wrong with that? I've always wanted to be a Pokémon before."

"Nah..." Derek stepped past the boy and towards the door, adjusting the collar of his shirt absentmindedly. With his hand on the handle, he glanced back at Ciel. "With the way you were acting, you might as well have been a tree."

"A _tree_?" Ciel let out a _tch_. "I can't be a rock, at least?"

"Why would you want to be a rock?"

"Better than a tree. Rocks are solid. They rock."

"...I think I'm going to leave, now."

"Don't you mean 'leaf'?"

Derek sighed and shook his head. "Arceus, Ciel. Hurry up and shower. No, even better. Hurry up and _spruce _up."

A smile found its way onto Ciel's face at that one. "I see what you did there."

Derek turned back to the door, opening it to reveal the outside hallway. "Rather than seeing me, you should go see Caitlin...lover boy."

"Huh—?"

He shut the door behind him, allowed himself a brief moment of amusement and triumph, and then made his way to his own room to get ready for his departure.

-.-.-

"All right, brats. Who's missing?"

Derek surveyed the people around them. To his left were Damion and Ciel, both dressed in normal Trainer wear: a t-shirt and some jeans. Slung through their belt loops were their Poké Ball belts, each adorned with their respective number of Poké Balls.

To his right were Caitlin and Marina, the former of whom was dressed similarly to the two boys. On the other hand, Marina wore a blue long-sleeved shirt, not unlike when she and Derek had first met, and her pants were far more _sophisticated_, per say, than jeans, being made of cotton and dyed a black color. She, unlike everyone else, had no belt.

Standing before them, with all the image of an older brother or upperclassman ready to take his underclassmen on a trip, was Aewir. He wore an unbuttoned short-sleeved black shirt over a gray t-shirt, wearing jeans like the rest of them. Over his shoulder was slung a single strap backpack of a dark gray shade, strengthening the road trip-like feeling. Instead of car keys, in his hand he held two Poké Balls.

"You guys," he said, nodding towards Damion, Ciel, and Caitlin one-by-one, "will be heading there first with Marina. The max people who can go at once is four, so we're splitting up. Unless you kids are afraid of that."

"Of course not!" the three answered in harmony.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Derek cut in. "Why am I the one who's staying behind? At least settle this with rock-paper-scissors, or lots, or a battle, or _something_!"

He was cut off by the rustle of clothing. When he turned towards the source, he found Ciel pointing a finger at him in an overly dramatic pose, a grin plastered on his face. "What, you wanna try? I got a feeling I'm gonna _rock _today, if you know what I mean."

"Wouldn't you think _paper_ would come from the _tree_?" Derek gave him a dark look before raising his left hand. "C'mon, then! Rock, paper, scissors!"

Five seconds later, Derek found himself cursing every rock in existence for betraying him.

Aewir only sighed and shook his head. "Anyway. Let's go, Blanca."

Bursting out from the Poké Ball was a Pokémon to behold. Looking very much like a human, the Pokémon reached to about Aewir's chin, which formed a noticeable height difference of a few inches between it and the children. Looking at it head-on only let Derek see a peculiar red horn-like appendage poking out from its back and chest. He raised his head to see hair of a refreshing green shade shadow the left side of its face, contrasting heavily with its almost perfectly white skin and heavy crimson eyes. Its arms were green, but the rest of its body was covered with a white dress that seemed to be both part of the Pokémon yet separate.

The graceful way it held itself identified it as a female (as if the gown hadn't been obvious enough), and she seemed to smile at them kindly. Derek knew what kind of Pokémon she was: a Gardevoir from the Hoenn region. He couldn't help but stare in wonder; Gardevoir were rare Pokémon, especially outside of their native region.

Upon meeting Derek's gaze, though, her eyes gained an odd expression to them, and the smile faded from her lips. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw her eyes gain an aquatic glow to them, glistening like the ocean, but the color returned to their ordinary dark red, a scarlet light coloring them.

Derek blinked at the oddness of the situation, but Aewir snapped him out of it. "All right, Blanca, take those four away, would you? Take this to your real Trainer, too," he said, handing the Pokémon her Poké Ball. "Don't lose it on the way, all right?"

She inclined her head courteously and held out her arms to the children. The two girls agreed to it without even a second's hesitation, but Damion and Ciel seemed to falter.

"Um... We're teleporting there, aren't we?" Damion said nervously.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-no... It's just that..."

"Does it...hurt?" Ciel asked, and Damion nodded next to him. "Teleporting... I mean, I've never done it before, so..."

"You can get your limbs torn off," Derek said simply. He gave the two wicked, mocking smirks as they flinched. "Only if the place you're teleporting to is dangerous."

"Or if the teleporter overworks herself, which is why Derek and I will be going with a different method." Aewir motioned towards Blanca, who closed her eyes and smiled. "Go on, now. You'll be there before you can even scream."

"A-all right." Damion reached forward hesitantly, taking the Pokémon's hand into his own. Ciel followed his example. "But just so you know, if anything happens, Derek, I really—"

As if erased from existence, they disappeared in a glow of white before Derek could even register what happened. When he came back to his senses, blinking to himself, Aewir was already patting their means of transportation softly.

"Zirc, this'll be a bit of a long flight. Up for it?"

The Skarmory, Zirconia, let out a "Skar!" of approval. Derek immediately noticed something strange about the Pokémon. The steel-plated bird with its four-feathered wings had a strange quirk to it. Rather than the customary one gray feather and three red feathers of its species, the normally red three feathers of each wing were black. It was actually quite terrifying, as if they were blades of obsidian, ready to tear through the night.

Aewir simply said, "She's a special one. Get on already. There's a reason why you're the only one not going with them."

"Wasn't it because it would overtax Blanca?"

"That's part of the reason. But I could have taken Marina with me, couldn't I have?"

Derek blinked. It was definitely true, and it would have been a better decision if one were to think about it. "Well..."

"We have to talk. About Archer. About your loss. About my win." His words were blunt and to the point, making Derek wince. "I'm not bragging. This is to help you, Derek. I'll tell you what you need to know, and then you'll be ready."

"Ready...?"

"Think of it like an RPG." Aewir jumped onto Zirconia's back, motioning for Derek to get on as well. The boy was reminded of his first time flying with Chris and Gaia, which, he realized, he still didn't know what was. "Archer was an event. I'm the random sage who shows up to explain that event. You, the main character, will have to train to beat the antagonist."

"Is that antagonist Louis?" Derek asked, hesitating. There really wasn't any reason for Aewir to pay so much attention to him just because of a single battle, even if it was with a terrorist. "Or is there something more to it...?"

Aewir smirked. "Looks like you're catching on, kid."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Ciel's got the most boring recovery, I know. Damion obviously had the best one, what with the bromance, but this chapter has some importance to it. Just a bit of plot hinting here and there, if you try to read into it. You'll get confused, though.**

**At any rate, Blanca! Gardevoir are always some of my favorite Pokemon when I'm playing a Hoenn game (or any game) (and not like that, you sick perverts), so obviously one needed to show up. If you haven't gotten Aewir's style yet, we have Alexandrite the Aggron and Zirconia the Skarmory. NOTICE SOMETHING? (And I'm referring to both the Pokemon themselves and their names...)  
><strong>

**One more to go~! Have a blast, =P  
><strong>


	30. One Year: Friendship is Magic

The Pokémon League Village, the resting home for the league competitors for the duration of the Indigo League, was nothing short of _beautiful_. With the towering Mt. Silver shadowing the lush forests that decorated the outskirts of the village, any Trainer who wanted to become a big name in the future felt their hearts skip a beat as they wandered through the streets in the shade of the park-like setting—or, rather, as they watched the snowy peak that marked the pinnacle of strength for a Trainer. Despite his usual dislike towards sightseeing, or anything even remotely related to the activity, Derek, too, felt a bit of longing at the sight of the mountain.

It wasn't as if the mountain was the only congenial aspect to the village, either. The town's infrastructure was peerless: buildings of pure white surrounded by clean pavement melded with the grassy fields in beautiful harmony, resulting in a feeling akin to Pallet Town's tranquil atmosphere. Adding to the natural feeling of the village were the various bodies of water, both artificial and not, and fountains alongside paved paths creating a feeling of grace that, when combined with the surrounding foliage, seemed to allure the eyes and tempt the mind. The purity of the village was what truly gave it a feeling of divinity worthy of being the resting place of the future Champion of the Indigo League; if the place were shown in a fantasy tale, one could mistake it for a haven for angels.

Deeper inside, towards the center of the home of legends, lay the true Pokémon League Village. Flashing lights and bursting music was only the beginning; the Trainers, both young and old, wandered through the streets, chased after by innumerable interviewers and cameramen. The buildings there were of varying colors like that of a quaint, soothing town, with welcoming browns and glistening reds. Homely cafés and snug restaurants hugged the surrounding structures, which mostly consisted of jewelry shops and clothing stores, though hotels and medicine shops were also available. For convenience's sake, and perhaps for the comfort of the Trainers, the biggest building and easily most visible was the Pokémon Center, with a bright red roof that peeked over the other structures as a marker.

Yes...it was in this place that the selected few from countless hopeful individuals who had challenged the Gym Leaders for their badges prepared for their fight for the title of number one. Amongst the few hundred Trainers were Chris Lightwood and Matthew Summers, as well as Andrea Rose and numerous other Trainers that would form the foundation of the future league competitions.

"Nyahaha! All your stall are belong to us!"

Derek let out a groan as Damion dashed to the stalls lined up against the sidewalk, leaving the others in the dust. The foods he gathered piled up faster than leaves in the fall, and they disappeared within seconds, the only traces of their existence left smearing the boy's face.

Letting out a sigh as Caitlin and Ciel chatted behind him, he walked through the dimly lit streets, gazing up at the lanterns fondly. Festival lights and colorful decorations were strung along the walls and connected each of the unlit streetlights. A few children almost bumped into him as they eagerly ran through the streets, followed by their concerned parents.

A sense of longing filled him for the briefest of moments before fading into his ordinary composure. He turned away from the running kids, away from the shadowed pavement, and returned to his main objective.

The village seemed to swallow him up in its joyous mood as he walked towards the Pokémon Center. Brief memories flashed into his mind, especially as he passed through clothing stores, invading his thoughts and jumbling his priorities. The brilliant sapphire shade of the display dress that so closely resembled her eyes; the glaring red gem that adorned the golden links of a necklace that reminded him of her gift to him; the white silk scarf not unlike her own, wrapped around a mannequin wearing the "hottest" fashions...

"Problem?"

Derek turned to Damion wearily. "What, me?"

The boy shook his head, smiling with sauce-stained lips. "Forever alone, much?"

"Well, sorry for not being in a talkative mood like you." He held his hands up to the back of his head and gave Ciel and Caitlin amused looks. "Or you two. Why don't you go enjoy the festival or something instead of sticking with us?"

"Oh, please," Caitlin said, frowning. "We were here hours before you, Derek! Of course we're not going to leave you again on your own. That would be rude!"

He let out another sigh in response to that, feeling a bit of a pang in his heart. "You sound a lot like someone I used to know when I was a kid. That's not a compliment," he added, mimicking her frown.

"You should go check out the food. Unless Damion ate it all already," Ciel said with a smile. "There's fried noodles, fried rice, fried dough, fried—"

"Fried _dough_?"

"Churros." Ciel gave him a grin. "Heard they're popular in Hoenn, so everybody who eats them is labeled a Matthew fan. Oh, you should try the fried tomatoes."

"Huh... Wait, you can fry tomatoes?"

"Not sure..." He put on a thoughtful expression for a second, holding a hand to his chin. The light of the lanterns sent a shadow across his face and illuminated his eyes, which brightened as he said, "I dunno, but the thought fries my brain."

"Cool down with some icecream," Derek responded immediately. "Get some brain freeze."

"Nah, you're cold enough to cool me down."

Derek only shook his head as Ciel chuckled. He turned his head to see Damion running around the village. The boy was shouting strange things like "MY CHURROS WILL BLOT OUT THE SUN!" and "THIS IS KANTO!" which only served to embarrass Derek. "Honestly, what is he doing?"

"Well... To be honest, he's the reason we know most of the foods around here," Caitlin said. "He kinda had some strange-tasting water that some old man sitting on the sidewalk gave to us—"

"I can't even name how many things are wrong with that."

"—and then he turned out like this."

"Did you ever stop to think about what an old man could possibly give you something for?" Derek asked. He watched Damion, trying to put a name on what he was feeling towards the boy's stupidity. "Don't answer that."

Ciel only let out a laugh. "C'mon, there's still some time in the day left. Why don't we go play some games or something?"

"Games?" Derek perked up immediately at the word, though he immediately regained his senses. Trying to cover up his mistake, he said, "No, wait, uh—"

The two would have nothing of it. They only grinned and dragged the protesting boy through the streets, underneath the shade of trees and past the brightly colored vendors. Soon, the surroundings changed from a modern look to a bit of a suburban style: comfortable and more spacious, with softer colors. There were just as many people, though, and Derek noticed with a bit of discomfort that many of them were couples.

As they slowed to a stop, Derek couldn't help his curiosity. "Since you got me here so easily, were you here before?"

"We got lost a few times, actually, so we know the place pretty well now. Especially the weird places, like that one ramen shop—"

"Honestly!" Caitlin cut in, her face noticeably pink. "Don't mention that now!"

Derek didn't even get the chance to ask before the girl walked off, her arms crossed over her chest in an obvious I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it stance. Her steps were overly large and fast, and she quickly disappeared from view in the sea of people.

He turned to Ciel. "You sure that's all right, letting her go like that?"

"She's not dumb. And it's not like I could stop her, right?"

"I don't know. You might have been able to," he said. The slightest touch of amusement made him simply shake his head as he remembered Caitlin's flustered expression the day before. "You should go after her. But what was that ramen shop about, anyway?"

"Oh, that? Some guy in an orange jumpsuit tried to teach her how to use chopsticks. She's a stubborn person, so... We didn't leave for a while."

"...was Damion there?"

Ciel only gave a laugh, confirming Derek's worries.

"I really hope that idiot doesn't empty his wallet. We need to stock up on supplies and get some new clothes... There aren't many battles to get money from recently."

"Well, it _is _just before the circuit restarts. We just started early is all."

"Mmph. I'm going to go grab Damion and head on over to the Pokémon Center. You hang out with Caitlin before coming back."

"You sure? It's a good opportunity to have some fun."

Part of Derek wanted to give in and stay, but the rest of him led him to shake his head. He needed time to think, and the festival was not a good place to do that. "No," he said, "I'll pass. I'm tired after the flight and all."

Ciel's expression was unreadable as he nodded. "If you say so. But before that, may I see your _pass_port?" The poker face on the boy's face broke into a harmless grin.

"...Just go find Caitlin already."

"Right, right. See you back at the Center."

"Yeah."

The two waved their goodbyes and went off in opposite directions. Derek couldn't help giving the stalls a few longing looks, feeling the gaming instinct in him itch with anticipation, but he shook it off and quickened his pace back.

Before he had been walking for ten seconds, he heard a shout ring through the streets and make everyone look for the source. Derek only slapped a hand to his face as he heard Damion yell, "Eat all the things!"

_Oh my Arceus, _Derek thought to himself and began running towards the shout. The boy was holding an opened can of Coke to the air, grinning like an idiot, and still spluttering nonsense like, "Come at me bro! Trololol!"

He walked up to the boy. Damion was sitting on the stone circle surrounding one of the fountains, apparently wondering why he was getting wet as he said, "Rain with clear skies? Cool story bro!" He noticed Derek and said, "Hey, Derek! Don't worry, happy Damion's not watchin' you sleep tonight!

"I don't really care about that. Wallet?"

The boy reached into his jeans pocket and handed it to Derek, still stupidly grinning.

"Badges? Poké Balls?"

He took them as well, pocketing the items into his jacket. With a sigh, he pulled off his shoe and stretched his back a bit.

"Hey, Derek, you can't take off your clothes he—ehhh!?"

Derek whipped around and kicked the boy directly in the stomach, knocking him straight into the fountain. He took a step back before the huge splash followed, wetting the ground where he had been standing before. The green-eyed boy, soaked to the skin, was shaking the wet hair out of his eyes and shouting, "That's not cool, Derek! Not cool at all!"

"You're the uncool one, sitting in the fountain like that."

"De...rek!"

The boy jumped up from the stone floor and dashed forward, dripping water everywhere. Momentary panic made Derek dodge by instinct, and Damion, who had stupidly lunged for him, dropped to the ground with a heavy _thud_.

He pushed himself up slowly, pouting like a little child. "Derek! I'ma get you for this!"

Mockingly, he cleared his throat, put on his best Damion impression, and said, "Cool story. You mad, bro?"

Flushing red, Damion kept his silence. Derek helped the boy back up to his feet and gave him a shrug. "Let's get you back to the Pokémon Center already. You've had enough fun for a day, haven't you?"

"I almost threw up everything I ate when you kicked me..."

Derek sighed and threw his arm around the boy's neck, making sure to keep his sleeve between them. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go; everyone's staring. I'll probably never live this down."

-.-.-

_Creeaak._

The bed let out a noise of distress as Derek rolled over onto his side. Even with his eyes closed, he couldn't concentrate on his thoughts; the lights were bothering him, the outside noises were bothering him, the aches in his body were bothering him, and the sound of water from Damion's shower was bothering him.

He opened his eyes and stared at the bed in his view. He knew he was lying on an identical one, with white sheets and a dark brown frame, yet it felt different to see it from a distance. It cast shadows against the wooden floor, darkening the lines that ran between the shafts as if they were dividers between reality and dreams, between what could and couldn't be done.

_"You'll experience much worse than Archer if you go after him."_

Aewir had spent the majority of the flight explaining to Derek many things: the government, the police force, the terrorist association, and the reason behind why Trainers existed in the first place. It had brought too many questions to mind, too many thoughts to organize properly, and he couldn't even succeed in settling down to think.

He felt like shouting with frustration. It was irritating—everything Aewir had told him, everything that he had heard, he wanted to forget. The world was corrupt. The Indigo League wasn't as great as it seemed. Deaths were covered up—no, _murders_.

_"There's a reason I became a Gym Leader. You might figure it out one day, Derek."_

It was an adult's world that he wasn't supposed to understand. That was all he could figure out from Aewir's confusing talk. The Gym Leader took on a position when he knew the government that held the Gym circuit together was corrupt—Derek couldn't understand that at all. What could he possibly be doing, supporting what he said was wrong? Was there some sort of catch to it?

His loss to Louis was beginning to worry him, too. With such a magnificent loss, did he really stand a chance if they battled again? Against Emily, he had at least stood his ground, even if they hadn't been her main Pokémon; that proved that there wasn't _that _much difference in their strengths as Trainers. The battle between him and Ciel would have ended differently if Soran and Flare had been at full strength, too.

But Louis had been completely different. It really wasn't a peaceful world that Derek was living in. There were things that were going to get in his way as he tried to find Yuki. There were obstacles he would have to overcome before he could kick Michael's ass.

There was such an incredible difference between his strength and Louis'; what was the difference between him and an undefeated, perfect record Champion? It had to be worlds—no, universes apart. It might not even be possible to overcome it.

_"You're just a kid, so you wouldn't understand, but this world isn't as great as it looks. Pokémon are our friends? That's true. But other Trainers—are they our friends? A battle seems like friendly competition, but it's bloody. It's cruel. We're using Pokémon to fight for our own selfish purposes. Why?"_

_ Why_? That was what _he _wanted to ask. Why did Soran even listen to him in battles when all he did was get her hurt? What was the point of Flare fighting for him when he could do so much better on his own? How could Zorro be so painfully messed up to the point of liking someone like him? Where did Kutsune really belong, if she didn't need him? Who had Aurora's Trainer been to just leave her with him like this, leave her with a Trainer who couldn't even hold _himself _together?

He smashed his fist against the wooden frame of the bed, hard enough to bruise his weak body. Physically weak, mentally weak... He had no resolve, and he had no strength; what could he do for his Pokémon when he was so pathetic?

The bathroom door opened, and Damion stepped into the room wearing childish green pajamas decorated with Poké Balls. His hair, damp from the shower, hung over his eyes at an uncomfortable length, but his smile was the same as ever. It faded, though, when their eyes met.

"Something the matter?"

"It's nothing," Derek said quickly, moving his hand and shoving it into his pocket to hide the bruise. "Just a bit anxious for tomorrow, I guess."

"Heh, just think. We'll have a Champion as a friend before we know it." Damion grinned and jumped onto his bed opposite Derek's, hugging the pillow in his arms. He gave Derek a happy look. "It'll be fun, won't it?"

"'Course it will," Derek muttered, getting up off his bed. He walked over to the light switch and turned the lights off. "We should get some sleep already. It's been a long day."

"Mmkay." The boy threw the covers over himself, his luminous green eyes glowing in the dark. "Hey, Derek?"

He sat down on the edge of his bed and spread out the blanket absentmindedly, lying on top of it when he was done. He took the time to get comfortable before answering with a bored, "Yeah?"

"Ciel and Caitlin are good people, aren't they?"

"I suppose." Derek stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance together as the light flickered from outside. "Why so suddenly?"

"It just seemed like a good time to say it."

"Your hair will fall out if you sleep while it's still wet," Derek said. "Just seems like a good time to say that."

"Mm..." His response was quiet, sleepy. "We should get haircuts and some new clothes..."

"If you can afford it after all that food you ate."

The boy gave a short laugh at that, though he was silenced by a yawn. He let out a long sigh. "It was fun today. No, that's not right... It was even more fun than usual. That's what I meant to say."

"We don't do anything that fun."

"Nah..." Another yawn. "Just being with you is fun enough, Derek."

"I'm straight."

"Does that make me round?"

"Are you admitting..." He caught himself and sighed. "Just sleep already, Damion."

"Thanks, Derek."

"For?"

"Being my friend. It's been really fun up until now, you know?"

Derek glanced at the boy, but Damion had his back turned to Derek. "We aren't the ones competing in the tournament, Damion. We've still got another twelve months ahead of us before then."

"I know. I really look forward..." He yawned. "...forward to it..."

Silence filled the room after that until Derek was sure that Damion had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes as well, trying to relax his anxious body. The darkness seemed to strengthen his hearing, and each breath he took might as well have been a clap of thunder.

He sighed. It was likely he wouldn't get any sleep at this rate, so he stopped trying to force himself into it and instead thought about the times he had gone through up until now. It had just been mishap after mishap since he joined up with Damion back in March, and it was already May... He had to admit, the time had flown.

Three out of eight Badges. What would happen after they got all eight and competed in the Indigo League? Would he be able to make it to the finals? And even if he did, would he have the resolve to fight and beat Damion for the title? Or rather, did he have a reason to fight for it?

He had been using Damion. He was painfully aware of that. But he wanted to change that now so that they were on equal footing, helping each other for their goals. Derek needed strength and clues to find Yuki, and anything helped if he was going to surpass Michael. Damion was competing for the title of Champion, just like any other child their age.

The thought brought up a question that Derek wasn't sure whether he wanted to know the answer to or not. It was painful to so much as think about, despite how much he thought he had hated Damion's company. There was one full year left before they were to compete in the Indigo League as rivals.

Did that mean they were going to split up after it was over?

* * *

><p><strong>AN - No, it's not coincidence; this is a My Little Pony reference.**

**HAH. EAT THAT, EVERYPONY.  
><strong>

**Ponies aside, this chapter is really just a breather before the Indigo League. We'll be seeing Matthew, Chris, and Andrea duke it out over the next one or two months, depending on how fast I can write with my limited amount of time. A friend requested I write the battles in disgustingly overboard detail, but since I kind of already do that... Yeah.  
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**Feel free to pat Derek on the back. He's finally learning to open up, even if that means he's more free with his prickiness. Damion has had a very obvious effect on him as you guys might notice... Derek actually has a slight sense of humor, now. =D  
><strong>

**Well, you finished all four updates. Good job. Please know that you wasted so much time on what could be condensed into two sentences: "Derek helps Damion and Ciel recover from their losses. Then, with Aewir and Marina, the group travels to the Indigo League, ready to watch the matches." Hurrah for writing stories!  
><strong>

**Kay, I'm heading out. Here's to a year of this crappy fanfic! We're almost at our two-year anniversary of the Lost Adventure series as a whole (and consequently a one year anniversary for Lost Memories, Revamped!)... Hopefully I'll finish Memories by then, huh? =_=;;  
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	31. Quiet Introductions

As the fake afternoon sun lit up the greenhouse in an array of reds and oranges, Derek found himself staring at a wall of dark evergreens. He turned around, trying to make sense of the path he had just taken, but whatever had spurred him to move in this direction had long since disappeared, if it had even existed in the first place. The grass he had traveled on looked the same as every other patch—fresh and new, still slick with the morning's dew.

A soft hum filled the air. He turned to see a group of Butterfree fly up into the air, their wings sending a low, steady beat through the area. A few smaller Pokémon picked up on the noise, watching from their tree homes and underground burrows.

Something brushed by his leg, but by the time he turned to look, the Rattata had already darted away. The purple streak soon faded into the bushes, sending a few leaves into the air as it did so. They fell to the ground ever so slowly, bouncing in midair before gravity took them down once more.

For a minute, he stood there, simply staring at the fallen leaves on the ground. He returned to his senses eventually, raising his hand to his chest. He glanced down at the piece of paper he was holding. His fingers ran along the inky blue writing, vague directions that had led him to his possible death in this treacherous green land. The curved letters almost seemed to mock him: "It's an easy path~ "

At that moment, his knees gave out on him, causing him to fall into an awkward kneeling position. His hands hit the ground next, his body bent over as he stared down with dismay at the grass underneath him. The paper fluttered to the ground beside him.

He was lost. Completely, utterly lost.

It was a stupid story, beginning with a lonely morning. He had woken up to find Damion's bed in total disarray, the blankets and numerous pillows the boy had somehow amassed scattered everywhere. Damion's backpack had also been missing from the wall. When Derek had dressed and asked Nurse Joy where they had gone, she could only share in his confusion. She told him that his partner had gone off with Ciel and Caitlin, though she had no idea where to. She did, however, suggest going into the underground greenhouse.

"Underground greenhouse?" he distinctly remembered asking her.

"That's right," she had said with a smile. She had then quickly scribbled some directions on a spare piece of paper and handed it to him. "Someone down there would probably like to see you. It would definitely take your mind off of the others."

The teenage nurse's instructions had seemed suspicious, but it was only now that Derek realized that he could have asked for more details before running off. Now, lost in the seemingly never ending foliage, he was starting to lose hope for survival.

He groaned. Even when he found the noises more depressing, he couldn't bother to stop them. They eventually subsided into a sigh, leaving him empty.

Presently, he raised his head and picked up the map again. After a moment of studying, he realized, finally, that he had been looking at it at a wrong angle. All the directions were upside down; the nurse must have added the writing as an afterthought.

"AGHHHHH!"

His shout echoed through the forest before returning to him as a quieter echo. Suddenly, a hundred trees burst into a cloud of leaves as Pokémon jumped from their homes, and soon the air was filled with the silhouettes of impending doom. His mouth opened into a silent "O" shape.

The hum of Beedrill and the loud scurrying of ground Pokémon sent reverberations throughout the forest. The colossal noise was like a mini earthquake. It made his mouth drop open even further, but before he could even consider running away, the trees in front of him were practically torn apart as a few dozen Beedrill and a wave of Paras entered his little clearing.

For a moment, they stared at each other, neither making the first move. Derek slowly pushed himself up into a standing position—slowly, ever so slowly—never breaking eye contact. He swallowed loudly at the sight of the Beedrill's sharp stingers, trying hard not to imagine what it would feel like to be pierced by one of them.

He hesitantly raised a hand, holding back all urges to turn tail and flee. He couldn't lose face or else they would just chase him, and he was not at all confident in his ability to escape.

He swallowed hard. "Hi, I'm Derek. I'm just wondering if you've seen—"

A Poison Sting sliced the air beside him, telling him they really couldn't care less.

He forced a small smile before continuing. "...another human around here—"

The clack of the Paras' pincers silenced him. Before he completely panicked, however, Derek was interrupted when a random downpour dumped its load on the Bug Pokémon. Bewildered, Derek looked up at the sky; it was a glass ceiling, and the beautifully clear blue sky (which shouldn't have been blue even if it _were_ raining) was only a projection. The flabbergasted Pokémon soon realized they were the only ones getting hit by the rain and began to rush towards Derek.

Derek was starting to understand what was happening by this point, though the Bug Pokémon were completely flustered. A wall of ice suddenly separated him from the angry Pokémon while a barrage of icicles assailed them. They began to panic, most of them running from the clearing. The ones that remained were trying desperately to quell the frozen volley with a wide variety of attacks.

Like the rain, the icicles, too, eventually began to fade. The Bug Pokémon lowered their stingers and pincers—and then were scorched into indistinguishable black figures that dropped like rocks. The ice wall melted into a small flood that licked at the young Trainer and new entry's feet. Derek turned in surprise, only to find himself face-to-face with the one and only Flare.

The Charmeleon's lips curved slightly. "Char?"

"I'm okay," Derek said, receiving a nod from the Charmeleon at his correct interpretation. He saw out of the corner of his eye the Pokémon all get up and run away. "I'm guessing the ice and rain were Aurora? That was some scary accuracy."

Flare motioned with his claw towards the forest behind him. From its depth sparked a small light, like a flash light, only for it to rush forward into the clearing. It hit the ground and burst up in a cloud of dirt and grass, smashing into Derek's already open arms.

"Ee!"

"Soran," he sighed, patting the Eevee on the head with his uninjured hand. He shook his head, exasperated. "You should really stop doing that. Especially with my hand like this."

"Ee, Eevee vee..." she said, rubbing her head against his splint gently. He took it as a "Yeah, I'm being careful..."

"Well, with all the times you've done this," he said, giving a breath of amusement, "I doubt you'd hit my arm anyway. You'll break my ribs first."

For a second, he thought she would bite him like usual, but she merely continued nuzzling him. He almost smiled, feeling her warmth seep in through his thin clothing.

_Bzzzz..._ He looked up, held Soran to his chest with his right hand, and grabbed the Magnemite flying toward him with his left hand. Light burst from the Magnet Pokémon, but his gloves absorbed the electricity without a hitch.

"Zorro," he said, trying to put on an angry tone but failing miserably. Instead, he just shook his head again and held the Magnemite next to Soran against him. "You have to stop doing that, too."

Light footsteps sounded from the direction his Pokémon had come from. He watched curiously as his Butterfree and Lapras both popped into view, but what came after them was more surprising.

Her expression was flushed a light pink, and her breath was coming in pants. She was obviously winded, but instead of bending over in exhaustion like Derek would have, she looked around to see what the Pokémon were doing. "G-guys... You shouldn't run off like tha..."

Her voice trailed into silence as she turned her head in his direction. Her eyes met Derek's, blinked once, twice, and then widened.

"D-D-Derek?" she said, her voice dangerously high. Her heavy breathing had stopped abruptly, leaving her mouth slightly open in a sudden silence.

Derek was convinced he had a similar expression on his face. Zorro floated up out of his arms and above his head for a bit, while Soran peeked out from inside his jacket. "M-Marina..."

He felt himself relax for a moment, having been a bit worried that it was Aewir ready to lecture him again when he had been told someone was waiting for him. It had been terrifying the first time around, frankly, and he wasn't keen on letting it happen again.

Then the moment passed, and he tensed up all over again.

"W-what are you doing here?" he asked, unable to keep the stutter out of his voice. He swallowed hard. "I mean, uh... You know, why aren't you with the others?"

This time, it was Marina's turn to tense up. She blinked rapidly, as if something were in her eyes, and then she slowly turned her head away. "I um... I..."

An awkward silence followed. He could practically see the steam coming off of Marina's heated face. Personally, though, he didn't feel much better about the whole situation; he bit his lip and stared at the ground.

_C'mon, Derek,_ he told himself. _You're making things awkward for her. You struck a conversation last time, didn't you?_

Well, he technically had...if a conversation of ten seconds counted. He refrained himself from cursing and tried to come up with something, anything, that would lift the atmosphere a bit.

_Damn you Nurse Joy!_

It was a weird situation, for sure. The first time he had met Marina, they had held an okay conversation, albeit an abrupt one. She had seemed much less shy back then, and he couldn't be sure why. Though, now that he thought about it, they hadn't really talked much to each other—she had been mostly interested in his Pokémon.

He mentally cocked his head, but before anything could really click, the long awaited fangs of his ever-faithful Eevee pricked his arm, making him jump. He glared down at Soran, but she only gave him a sly smile and jumped out from his grip. She made his way over to Flare, Zorro following behind her.

His eyes wandered to Aurora and Kutsune, both of whom were also going over to Flare and the others. It struck him odd, then, that they were all together in the underground forest rather than up in the recovery room or in their Poké Balls. Plus, Marina had been with his Pokémon...

He pieced together the puzzle, practically envisioning the parts fit into the answer. He took a few steps toward the girl to close the distance. Ten feet became five.

"Thanks, Marina."

"H-Huh?"

"For taking care of my Pokémon," he explained to the flustered girl. He forced his lips to curve into a small smile, though he could only hope it looked authentic. "They get bored easily, so...thanks."

The flush faded from the girl's face. A second's silence left him worried he had said something wrong, but soon her mouth, which had been parted for the past minute, fell into a frown.

"...a smile." Her voice was so quiet he could barely catch what she was saying.

"Pardon?"

"P-please don't fake a smile," she repeated, a bit louder this time. Her eyes met his with a serious look. Though they weren't harsh like Aewir's, they made him wince all the same. They had the exact same meaning behind them: enough nonsense.

He gave up forcing it, so his smile slipped away. "Was it that obvious?"

For a second, she seemed to consider his question. Her eyes flicked away from him and toward the Pokémon. "I..."

Her face went a deep red, and she turned her head away from him again. He sighed; it was going to take forever to get anything out of this girl.

Putting aside the matter (though he really couldn't shake his curiosity), he said, "Either way, thanks. I hope they didn't hurt you or anything."

"N-no, they didn't. They're very kind."

Derek made a very deliberate motion of pushing the hair out of his face so that she wouldn't see him roll his eyes. He knew for a fact that Soran only showed her real personality to him, but he hadn't realized the others were the same. Or, at least, Marina _looked_ fine, but maybe she had been hurt and was just hiding it...?

Knowing his Pokémon, it was a possibility. He cast a look towards Flare, but the Charmeleon merely puffed some smoke out of his mouth. Derek internally shrugged; if Flare wasn't worried, there wasn't really any need for him to be, either.

Her soft voice brought his attention back to her."You asked me..."

"Hm?"

"Um..." She looked up at him, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. He noticed that she was wearing very inconspicuous clothing like she had the first time they met, though it must have been boiling under those long sleeves. (Though again, Derek found himself guilty of the same thing.)"You asked me why I wasn't with the others."

"Ah... Yeah, I did. Is there a reason?"

Her cheeks grew rosy again. Derek wasn't even surprised by this point. "T-they went with my brother to...to see the town..."

She had avoided his question, just like before, he noted. Maybe there were some things she just didn't want to tell him. At any rate, he wasn't really keen on bullying her for answers; everyone had things they hid. He himself deliberately left out the rest of his name so that nobody could relate him to the rest of his family.

That having been said, it was a bit disconcerting. He felt the reason was right in his face, but he couldn't put a finger on it. He struggled with himself for a second, wrestling every piece of information he could scape together, but he really was no good at understanding people.

_Ahh... I have no social skills, do I...?_ he thought with a sigh. He covered up his self-directed exasperation by saying, "Well, that's good to know. I was worried something might have happened to them."

"They're f-fine," she assured him, still skittish. Her shoes scuffed back and forth on the ground.

He wondered vaguely if this was how he had seemed to Chris two months back. He had to admit, looking back on it, he had been way too nervous. Maybe Marina was just the same way. Being so critical about it wasn't helping her, in any case.

"Marina?"

"Yes?" she yelped.

He gave her an apologetic look for surprising her, though the look she gave him was the exact same. They shared amused expressions, with Marina offering an awkward, shaky smile.

Derek cleared his throat, gazed up at her, and said as kindly as he could, "Last time... Or rather, the first time, back in Cerulean City. We got interrupted, didn't we?"

She nodded slowly, though her confused expression told him she wasn't getting his point.

"Well, I was just thinking that since we didn't really do it properly, we might as well introduce ourselves again." He almost faked a smile like he normally would, but he stopped himself upon remembering her previous request. Instead, he took another step forward and held his hand out. Five feet became three.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her cheeks seemed to be permanently pink by this point. She raised her trembling hand to meet his but remained a few inches short of contact.

He took the initiative and grasped her hand with both of his own. She took a sharp intake of breath, but nothing followed after that. He could feel her shaking a bit in his grip.

"M-my name's M-Marina Oath," she stammered, her eyes focused intensely on their touching hands, as if they were about to blow up.

He nodded his head. If she was someone like him, he decided, then he could trust her. She was someone who wouldn't betray him—that's the kind of vibe she gave off. She wouldn't be one to judge him, shove him into pigeonholes he refused to enter.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, making his decision. He spoke before he could chicken out and change his mind.

"Nice to meet you, Marina. My name is Derek—Derek Aaron Risque."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Yosh! Been what, three months? I ain't dead, and I didn't give up, so don't go assuming!**

**That having been said, I hope everyone's ready for a bit of festive cheer. I can't believe it's already almost Christmas; time really does fly, eh? If only my chapters came out as quickly as time ran. Putting aside my list of excuses that nobody cares about, this is a boring chapter, I know. Maybe it's a bit rushed; I can't deny that. But I wanted to give an author's note, since it's been so long. I'm lonely, =(  
><strong>

**Lost Smiles, Revamped! and Lost Memories, Revamped! are both far from over...probably a quarter into the former (though that's in terms of plot; I don't wanna have that many chapters), and the latter's about halfway through. Check out Isshu no Aoi Kaze in the meantime, honestly!  
><strong>

**This is a long enough author's note for a guy who's returned from a 3-month death. I respect (and will glomp) anyone who actually reads my stories, especially Fire'sFly, who always gives awesome advice. Like...honestly, as soon as I can live up to that kind of crit, I'll be proud of myself. (Really, in my heart, I know everything I'm told is true, but it's so hard to make my hands obey...)  
><strong>

**I'll be updating Lost Memories, Revamped! soon; I have some chapters done, I just want to make sure it all flows smoothly. I don't wanna butcher the series by not thinking it through well enough; it's bad enough as it is, XD**

* * *

><p><strong>Ikitsumi: Well...obviously I can say anything I want over chat. Even via phone, now. lulz<br>**

**Odile: I. Love. You. And. Your. Reviews. So no feeling bad, 'kay? ...besides, it's not like I update enough for you to review anything, XP**

**Also, StraightasaCircleShipping (SaaCShipping for short? because that doesn't look like a gay joke) will forever be the best AU shipping ever. Remind me to write a crack fic on that.**


	32. Championship Material

A Pidgey chirped in the distance.

Derek watched as Marina's eyes, which had been on their touching hands for the past while, slowly rose to meet his own. The black glinted with a calm light, further emphasized by her rosy cheeks. She blinked every now and then but never broke away from him.

Embarrassed, Derek averted his gaze first. He could feel a bit of heat run through his face as he knew the girl was still watching him. When he could muster the courage to glance back at her, Derek found Marina smiling faintly.

"Derek Aaron Risque," she whispered softly. Her voice was soothing, tranquil, like the calming rush of a quiet breeze. "That's a pretty name."

One second passed. Then two. Finally, the words processed in Derek's fumbling mind, and the boy flushed a bright red.

"W-w-what?" he stammered. He took a step back, but Marina held him by his hands gently with both of her own. He found himself opening and closing his mouth like a fish—stuck between shocked silence and wondering words.

The girl gave the smallest of giggles. "It suits you, I think."

_"It suits you."_

The memory flashed into his mind without warning, suddenly cutting him off from the real world. A young girl sat next to him, the bright blue of her eyes the only thing visible in the night. A cold breeze swept by, but it bothered him not.

_"You...were telling me your name, right?"_

_ "A-ah... Right." He found himself lowering his gaze again. "It's Derek..."_

_ There was silence for a few moments. Then: "Riku."_

_ "...I have the feeling it's changed?" His comment was ignored. "So what is that?"_

_ "Your name."_

_ The boy frowned. "...No, it's Derek."_

_ "De-ri-ku!" she said, enunciating each syllable slowly. "So Riku-chan! It suits you."_

_ He scowled at the name, but the girl merely smiled. "I'll tell you my real name. A trade."_

_ "How about you tell me a fake name and call me Derek?"_

_ "No." Flat out refusal. He nearly winced._

_ "Please?"_

_ "No!"_

_ A pout found its way onto his face. "Oh, c'mon."_

_ She still shook her head. "You're Riku-chan, and that's final."_

_ "That's...ugh." Derek threw his arms up in defeat. "Fine. What should I call you, then?"_

_ "Yuki." The girl gave him a smile. "My name is Migato Yuki."_

_ Derek felt his lips twitch a bit, but he forced them down into a frown. Smiling now would mean losing face._

_ He crossed his arms and turned away. "Yuki," he mumbled. He rolled the word around in his mouth and, without meaning to, said aloud, "I'll remember that."_

_ She responded with a quiet laugh._

Reality returned. He once again became aware of the humid air of the heated underground greenhouse, of the warm hands holding his own. He gazed down to see her pale skin contrasting heavily against the dark splint and frayed gloves he wore.

Derek looked up at Marina, who was still smiling brightly. He felt light-headed after the flashing memory, so he closed his eyes for a few moments, taking long and deep breaths.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked him worriedly. He could feel her fingers press a bit harder into his palm in a gentle squeeze.

"I-I'm fine," he said breathlessly. He opened his eyes and blinked hard a few times to clear his vision. "Just a bit dizzy is all."

He saw that she was biting her lip, but he looked away again when he noticed she was looking up at him. At the same time, she apparently became aware of how close they were. She blushed and stepped away from him, letting their hands fall apart.

Derek scratched the back of his head with his left hand, staring at the ground. "W-well..."

"Y-yeah..."

They sighed in unison. Derek looked up to see her chagrined smile, and he couldn't help but shrug his shoulders in amusement as well.

"How about we go eat, then?" he asked.

"S-sounds good," she responded, her voice once again hardly audible.

He let out an amused breath. She certainly was a lot more like him than he'd first thought.

-.-.-

With Marina guiding them, they had virtually no trouble getting back to the entrance. Derek was awed by her sense of direction and memory, but he refrained from complimenting her on it, lest she faint on him or something. The girl led the way wordlessly, so he followed wordlessly.

When they made their way up to the lobby, they found Nurse Joy waiting for them. She smiled at Marina, but when the girl was out of sight, she gave Derek an awfully malicious smirk. He paled at what she was thinking had happened—or rather, what she knew had happened.

The nurse sent them off to the eatery, where they found a few plates of still-warm food on the counter leading into the kitchen. A bowl of salad lay next to them, which Derek poked with a fork. He unearthed a few cut pieces of berries underneath the green leaves.

He turned to Marina, who was gazing down at the food fondly. A bit confused, he turned back to the plates. He then realized why Marina was smiling: the toast had jam in the shape of a heart, and the alphabet soup spelled out "LOVE" and other similar words. He eyed the sandwiches and salad warily.

_That damned nurse..._

He curiously removed the top slice of one of the sandwiches. His suspicions were proven correct when he saw the mayonnaise carefully spelling out "HEART."

He promptly placed the bread back on top, careful to rub it so that the mayonnaise spread.

The two took the plates and laid them on one of the many wooden picnic tables in the large room, near one of the windows in the wall. The tables against the green carpets made for an almost park-like feeling (which was probably on purpose, since almost everyone who ate there would be used to the outdoors). It was surprisingly comforting to Derek, who had felt a bit confined in the Pokémon League Village up until then.

They sat opposite each other. Derek took one of the slices of toast with his hand and bit into it, chewing absentmindedly as he stared out the window. Time passed slowly as they ate in silence, which was something Derek wasn't very used to after all the meals he had shared with Damion; the boy chatted like there was no tomorrow.

Derek laid his half-eaten toast back on its plate and stared down at his lap. It was...kind of lonely, now that he really thought about it. Had he really cared about becoming friends with Marina or was he just filling the sudden absence of his friend?

_It's only been a few hours, Derek, _he told himself. _No way would you be suffering from withdrawal already._

He snuck a glance at the girl across from him. Her lucid black eyes were focused down on the alphabet soup in front of her while a smile played with her lips. She seemed perfectly content as she stirred her spoon around in the deep orange broth.

She didn't seem to care about him being a Risque after all. He had been needlessly worried about the whole thing. Rather, maybe he was the only one really thinking that family ties mattered...

No, that wasn't true. He had met enough people to know that.

Still, though, it was weird that she wasn't even halfway surprised by it. He turned his attention to his own soup and blew on the soup. Ripples pushed the letters apart. Maybe she was putting him at a distance, hiding her true feelings beneath the surface. He poked at the bottom of the soup with his fork. To his dismay, a pea drifted out from the bottom.

He sighed and set his fork down on the table again. Marina Oath... She and her brother were odd characters, to say the least. It seemed too much of a coincidence that Aewir had magically been visiting Lt. Surge at that exact moment, but then again, there was no evidence or reason to suspect him of anything.

"Is something...the matter?" Marina asked him, breaking him out of his train of thought. He looked up to see her gazing at him solicitously, her lips forming a small pout.

_Oh Arceus_. He swore he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. She didn't look convinced, though, so he added, "Just thinking about Damion and the others. Wondering why they left me behind...that sorta thing."

Marina went a bit pink, and her gaze dropped to the tabletop. "I-I'm sorry... I'm not really...the best company..."

"N-no no! That's my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry." He lowered his head a bit, unable to meet her eyes. "I feel a bit bad...that you're stuck with me of all people."

Yeah, he felt bad all right. Bad for the girl who was stuck with the least sociable, most bad-mouthed asshole of a person she could ever meet. He felt a bit sick at heart to have to put her through something as bad as being with him. At least Damion deserved it for being an idiot all the time.

"I'd rather be stuck with you than..." Her voice suddenly broke off into a hiccup of embarrassment.

He chose not to pursue the topic, instead asking, "Well, did you have any plans for today? I hope I didn't drag you away from what you were doing or anything... I guess I should have asked beforehand."

"No... I was just spending away my free time."

He nodded in relief. "That's good. Well, um, I mean...good that you weren't busy. Not...you know."

She glanced up at him and gave a reassuring smile. "Um... If you'd like, we could go...meet some people."

"Meet some people? Like...who?"

The girl seemed to think for a moment. Then, as if for the first time, she saw the food laid out in front of them. "Oh no, the food's getting cold..."

"A-ah, you're right. We should probably..."

"Y-yeah..."

A bit reluctantly, they broke off into silence again, with only the clattering of cutlery against the ceramic bowls and plates audible. Every now and then, Derek would find another pea in his soup, but seeing as Marina was right across from him, he had little choice but to chew it down. He doubted his brave acts convinced her of anything, though; by the end of the meal, she was acting as if he were a pitiable little puppy.

Laying his silverware down for the last time, Derek straightened up again contentedly. The plates before him were quite clean, though Marina's looked nearly spotless in comparison. He stared in open-mouthed awe, but he shook himself out of it and pushed himself up.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"R-right."

They left the plates next to the now-empty salad bowl on the counter where they had found them, though Derek noticed Marina fidgeting as she did so. She frowned at them before leaving, making Derek wonder if she had planned on washing them herself. He had to admit, she did seem the type.

They exited back into the lobby, but finding Nurse Joy to be out of sight, they left the Pokémon Center without getting to say good-bye. Derek breathed in the warm spring air, getting a whiff of the various food stalls as a result.

"So, where we off to?"

"Um..." The girl glanced down at the watch on her wrist and fiddled with a few of the controls. A few beeping noises sounded every few seconds. "The...main plaza."

"This place has a plaza?"

Marina gave him an odd look, which he took as a "Don't most?" She said, however, "Y-yes... I think it's...that way."

She pointed toward the right. There were definitely more buildings in the direction, so Derek nodded his head and followed her obediently.

They passed by many Trainers and tourists on the streets. He tried not to look at any of them lest they see his eyes, but most of them were too intent on their own business to notice him anyway. He kept a firm grip on the Poké Balls around his belt; he was all too aware of possibilities of crime. Luckily for him, Soran wasn't popping out of her Poké Ball. She probably knew how dangerous it would be for her to show up now, too.

As they continued along, the road gradually grew larger and larger until it led them into a large circle of buildings. A massive fountain, sporting a statue of a person ten times the size of Derek himself, stood in the very center, surrounded by benches for people to relax. Derek noticed that a lot of people were going in and coming out of a certain store: an ice cream parlor.

Derek opened his mouth to point the store out, but he noticed Marina was already moving. He felt a bit disappointed for some reason. He was sure if it were Damion, they would have been already inside the store and buying everything off the menu...and somehow more.

Noise was very prominent in the plaza. The fountain sloshed noisily, people talked noisily to be heard over the fountain, store owners shouted out sales and deals to be heard over the people, and people looking for each other yelled to be heard over all of that. But above all, Derek heard something odd: commands. Very strange commands.

"Gale, smack her! Smack her in the face!"

"Grr... Blitz, Fire Spin that ass!"

"No, you idiot! That'll kill everyone here! Gale, Gust!"

"Wait, don't do that—!"

A sudden spiral of fire shot into the fountain, sending a buffeting wind of steam to blow through the plaza. Screams sounded at the sudden white mist, but someone was shouting reassuringly, "It's okay, it's okay! Nothing's wrong!"

Derek felt his mouth drop open. He turned to Marina, only to see she was looking up at the sky. He followed her gaze—and his jaw dropped another inch.

"Azul, _Carga Dragón_."

From the sky plummeted a orange-colored dragon with tiny wings that hardly seemed to fit its body. It fell at a breakneck speed, but its wings spanned out before it hit the ground. With a sound like a gunshot, it stopped completely.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, a gale of wind swept through the entire plaza, sending the steam flooding out. Derek closed his eyes as it ran past him.

_Carga Dragón_. One of the strongest Dragon-type moves: Dragon Rush.

"You two really should be a bit more careful," a calm but exasperated voice said. Derek felt he recognized the voice from somewhere, but it was difficult to hear over the relieved people of the plaza. "You can get dropped from the tournament like this. Battling is against the regulations—you know that."

"I know, I know..." another boy's voice responded. This voice, too, was familiar.

"Ah, who cares 'bout that?" a female asked. Not a voice nor accent Derek recognized. "Ain't no concern so long as I beat you two."

Something grabbed him by the hand gently but firmly. He opened his eyes and glanced down, but before he could ask, Marina was already pulling him forward towards the voices. They heard them, apparently, for they grew silent as they approached.

Derek looked up to see the Dragonite standing beside the fountain. Beside it, sitting on the edge of the stone blocks outlying the fountain was a very familiar boy. His hand was outstretched toward the orange dragon and was patting it on the shoulder.

His black eyes met Derek's, and instantly a wide smile spread across his face. "Derek, Marina. Now this is surprising."

"M-Matthew?"

"Matthew!"

Normally, Derek would have felt he should have given the latter response. In this case, however, it was Marina who jumped toward the boy, who pulled her into a friendly embrace. He laughed, patting the girl on the head.

"Hey, Marina. How's Aewir?"

"He's good," the girl said. Her voice was muffled as she buried her face into the boy's jacket. Derek felt a bit of amusement fill him at the sight of the knee-length jacket he had been so intrigued by the first time they had met.

"Derek's here?" the second familiar voice said. Derek turned to him, a flood of relief filling him as he saw the boy. "Oh, wow, you really are."

Derek shook his head at the blond, though he couldn't help his amusement. "I don't get a hug, Chris?"

Chris grinned. He stood next to a large Pidgeot, which Derek presumed was Gale from before. "Sorry, sorry. I'll give you one when I'm famous."

"Derek, hm? Never heard of him."

Derek turned to the female. She was as tall as Chris, maybe even a bit taller, but her slim frame made her look smaller than that. Her hair was an odd color: brown but mixed with highlights of red, which looked oddly natural. Her eyes were deep green flecked with gray, though they lacked the energy Damion's did. Instead, they looked familiar in their own way. They had a hard look to them.

The girl was leaning against a Pokémon Derek took a second to recognize: a Typhlosion from the Johto region. It was a large Pokémon standing on two legs, though Derek knew it was classified as a quadruped. Its underbelly was a creamy color, while the rest of its fur was a deep blue shade. It had eyes to match its Trainers, though red in color. One glance at its sharp fangs told Derek that he did _not _want to get this Pokémon angry.

Just as Derek looked up, he saw that the girl had apparently finished studying him as well. She clicked her tongue, making a very loud _tch _noise. "Y'all are friends with a vampire?"

Derek stared at her, dumbfounded. He had no idea how to respond to that.

"Don't insult him," Chris snapped, glaring daggers at her. "And introduce yourself, at least. Show some manners."

"Haah? I don't see how you're one to talk 'bout manners."

"What was that?"

"Ya heard me!"

"Please stop, you two," Matthew said. They all turned to look at him. He gave them exasperated looks. "It's embarrassing to see you two always like this. Can't you at least stop in front of the juniors?"

"He started it," the girl growled, though she grudgingly listened.

"Yeah, that's real mature." Chris rolled his eyes before shaking his head. "This is Andrea, Derek. Andrea Rose, the little sister of Emily Rose."

Derek nodded his head, not very surprised by this. "The one from Johto, right?"

"That's right." Chris waved a hand towards the Typhlosion, Blitz, who flexed his arms playfully. "Her Pokémon are quite nice, which is rather ironic."

Andrea twitched at that statement, but she said nothing. Derek watched her for a moment, particularly her green-gray eyes, before saying carelessly, "You and your sister have the same eyes."

"You're one to talk about eyes," she snapped. Chris sent her a glare, but she turned away from him with her arms crossed.

"She has a rotten attitude, as you can see. At least her sister controls hers."

"Chris..." Matthew said in a weary tone.

The boy sighed. "Okay, okay. So, Derek, how's your adventure going? What brings you to Pokémon League Village?"

Derek took a minute to consider that. He gave Marina, who was sitting beside Matthew on the fountain's edge, a shrug. She blinked a few times, but she apparently didn't have an answer, either.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I came with some friends, but...yeah."

"They ditch ya? I can see why."

"Shut up, Andrea. You are so not helping."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just makin' up for all the times ya screwed up. Remember when—"

"Oh ho, yes, that time when you tried to help your mom cook and ended up blowing up the entire kitchen? Yeah, I remember that."

"Ah, actually, I was thinking of that time when ya cried and cried and begged me for help 'cause ya couldn't find your li'l sister."

"Yeah, kinda like when Emily had to pull you up out of that _ditch_ you got stuck in. Should've left you there, honestly."

"Not my fault. Besides, like you're one to talk about ditches. Did ya forget when ya..."

Matthew let out a long sigh as the two Trainers bickered. He slowly rose into a standing position before turning and helping Marina up as well. He then turned back to Derek with a pleasant smile as usual. "Well, Derek, this won't end any time soon. How about we go get some ice cream while we wait?"

Derek just nodded, letting out a long sigh. His image of Chris had officially crumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - A lot of dialogue in this one, so it came out a lot..."taller" than it should be. I've been trying to improve my writing style, but jeez, it ain't workin' ya know?**

**Anywho, I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas. I know I did-I took a nap through the entire day. My bro and sis being on the other side of the world, we really didn't do anything...and I wasn't in the mood to write a Christmas chapter. Still, I did continue on Lost Memories, so yeah, there's a Christmas scene in there anyway.  
><strong>

**Speaking of Lost Memories, I wanted to at least finish by 1/1/2013, seeing as I've dragged it out for so long already, but I might not make it, D= I might be a week overdue! I'll try my best, though.  
><strong>

**Well, all that aside, happy holidays everyone! Make sure you get those New Years resolutions, =P We can stop worrying about this year's ones (though does anybody ever even make resolutions anymore...?).  
><strong>

**P.S. Lost Smiles is a very long fic already, isn't it? The LA series is a massive project, so I've kinda been focusing on the future rather than worrying about the present... I should pick up the pace with the plot. As soon as we're through the Indigo League, I'll skip over the filler, so I just hope you can forgive me for now, hehe... (so sorry)  
><strong>


	33. Cooling Down

Instead of going to the busy ice cream parlor Derek had noticed earlier, the three moved on to a quieter section of the plaza. It was only a few minutes walk, and it was pleasant enough (the lack of people and, more importantly, the lack of Chris and Andrea bickering was quite nice), but Derek did feel a bit uncomfortable. Not just because Damion was not there with him; rather, it was because of how close Marina and Matthew seemed to really be.

Their conversations were nothing lengthy, of course. Marina's personality prevented that. Despite that, the two managed to have what seemed like an ordinary dialogue between two ordinary friends. Matthew would ask her questions like "Did Zafira visit at all?" There would be a few moments pause as Marina contemplated her answer before nodding or shaking her head. In this case, she did the latter.

"Not since March," she said, "when you came together."

The normal stutter would fade from her voice, and she spoke with a ring of confidence. Derek wasn't exactly envious, but he couldn't deny that it would be nice to have a decent talk with Marina like Matthew. She had no qualms about clinging to him physically, either; she had yet to detach herself from his arm. Anyone would think they were siblings.

Well, except for Derek. He knew for a fact siblings weren't that close.

"Ah, Derek," Matthew said to him, breaking his train of thought. "You wouldn't happen to still have that ring, would you?"

"Ring? Oh, ring!" Derek reached into his pocket and pulled it out, holding it on his outstretched palm. The dull metal was still the same old bronze as it had been before—not that he had been expecting it to change. "I never got the chance to ask you about this."

As per the usual, Matthew gave a pleasant laugh. "Just think of it as a gift. I'm glad that you still have it, though."

"I wouldn't lose it." Derek frowned. "But there is something I wanted to ask you about it."

"Yes?"

The boy paused, trying to figure out how to word his question. The ring always let off the strange surges of heat, but that might have just been his imagination. It would be ridiculous to assume a ring would do something like that, anyway; this wasn't a fantasy story where an evil ring with the power to destroy the world was in the hands of a young child.

He just tucked the ring back into his pocket, dropping his head in defeat. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Matthew dropped the subject as he did, which Derek was grateful for. He wasn't sure if anybody else he knew would let him do that so easily.

He made eye contact with Marina, who quickly looked away. She occasionally glanced back at him every now and then, though, making him wonder what exactly Matthew had given him. Maybe Marina knew what it was. Maybe she was just curious.

Nothing ever made sense. He needed to work on his social skills.

They soon stopped in front of a small wooden building. The sign at the top of the double door entrance seemed to be written in Chinese characters, but underneath it was the smaller English: "GOOD! Ice Cream!" The entrance was glass, however, and when Derek actually brushed his fingers against the wall, he found that it was cement. He didn't get a chance to figure out how it had been painted before Matthew and Marina entered through the glass door, at which point he followed reluctantly.

The interior was completely different from what Derek had expected. It had a cozy "family restaurant" feel, with dim lighting and wooden tables lined against the walls. Posters and other various things covered the walls, as if they were personal trophies. There was not a single customer in sight despite there being at least a dozen tables lying around.

On the other side of the room was a front counter, which the group made their way over to. The wall had an open entrance to the kitchen behind the front counter, so they could see inside it. The kitchen contrasted heavily with the rest of the rug-filled building: it was tiled and blindingly bright inside. Coupled with the shiny metal appliances and counters, it was impossible to see anything from inside except for the vague outlining of a figure.

"Ooooh! Matthew! Surprise!"

Though it pained him to admit it, Derek had to say that the man's English was no better than the stereotypical Asian. He looked like a pleasant man, though, with a clean face and bright black eyes. He had wrinkles whenever he smiled (which seemed to be pretty much all the time), but otherwise he looked like a common middle-aged man you might find walking around.

As expected, Matthew returned the smile. "It's good to be back, Chang."

Derek felt that this was too cruel a joke.

"Chang" beamed and nodded his head excitedly. "Have the usual? Ah! Friends!"

He swung his head to look at Derek, as if noticing him for the first time. The look he had in his eyes was not like that of casual surprise—it was more like utter astonishment. It was the look one expected to see from a man who had never seen another human being before, or a man who had been stuck on a deserted island for half his life.

"Name?"

"D-Derek."

There was a moment of silence. Then, the wrinkles reappeared, and Chang's hand swung toward Derek. The boy tried not to let his eye twitch as he shook it.

"I'm Chang! Nice to meet you!"

"R-right..."

Chang turned to Marina, now, but his expression was softer. "Name?"

Derek had expected Marina to shrink behind Matthew and whimper like a kicked Growlithe, but she did the exact opposite: she detached herself from him and held out her hand. "Marina. M-Marina Oath."

She went a bit pink, but other than that, there was nothing too Marina-ish about her actions. It was strangely exasperating to see the two shake hands.

"I'm Chang! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Chang."

Matthew clapped his hands together, apparently satisfied with the strange exchange. "Well, then! Chang, could you get us some sundaes?"

"Sundaes? Three?"

"That would be _excellent_, yes." He emphasized the word "excellent" strangely heavily.

Chang seemed about ready to skip with joy. "Okay! Three sundaes!" he called needlessly loudly before disappearing into the kitchen. Derek had no idea why he would need an entire kitchen if this were just an ice cream store, but at the present time, he didn't really care.

He frowned without understanding why. Something was ticking him off, and the fact he didn't know what was ticking him off further.

"How about we sit down, Derek? I have been wondering about a few things."

Derek nodded, not turning to face Matthew. "Right..."

He followed the older boy to one of the tables, and they sat down, Matthew and Marina on one side, Derek opposite Matthew. The chairs were comfortable, cushioned as they were, but Derek fidgeted regardless.

"I've been meaning to ask," began Matthew, "but is your wrist all right?"

Derek raised his right arm and placed it on the table. The splint seemed to distort the light that showered it so generously, causing it to reflect in a twisted mockery of its original source. "Just a bit of an accident."

He had replied without thinking, but he glanced up at Matthew after a while. He had spoken with the intention of answering _what _had happened to his wrist, but that wasn't what he had been asked. The way Matthew had phrased his question felt a bit odd.

Matthew seemed oblivious, though, and had the same expression he always did. "As long as you get better. How is the Badge gathering going?"

"Did I ever say I was gathering Badges?" Derek asked, confused.

"No, you didn't." His tone wasn't at all sarcastic. It was a simple answer to a simple question. "It's just that I know Aewir pretty well. He doesn't care for Coordinators all that much."

Derek frowned. "Does he dislike them?"

"Not at all! He just likes Trainers better, being a Gym Leader and all. Coordinators have their Contest battles, and Aewir's just no good at those." The boy was obviously hiding a laugh at the last statement, his eyes staring off into the distance. He turned his gaze back to Derek. "Besides, Chris knew you as well."

"Are you friends with Chris?"

"I would like to think myself as his friend, yes. He is definitely _my_ friend." Matthew tilted his head a bit. "Though I guess that's debatable. Friends and rivals are divided by a very fine line, so it's hard to tell. At least, that's what Aewir likes to say, right Marina?"

The girl smiled and nodded her affirmation.

Derek just shrugged his shoulders. He glared at the wall to his left, suddenly not in the mood to talk. What the hell was Damion doing at a time like this, anyway? Leaving him alone with people like this—not that he didn't like them, but it wasn't a good day for him—just wasn't _right_.

His left hand suddenly jerked around on the table, and a loud _dudududu!_ filled the room. All three of them started at the sudden noise. Derek quickly lifted his arm (silencing the vibrating) and slapped his hand to his watch.

The screen blacked out for a second and then flickered into the calling screen. He had never seen the number before.

"Um, sorry, could you wait a sec?" Derek said into the mic, fumbling in his pockets for his earphones. He found them and plugged them in quickly, sending Matthew and Marina apologetic glances before throwing them on. "Er, okay."

"Do you happen to be with my little sister?"

"A-Aewir?"

Matthew and Marina both looked up at him from across the table.

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"N-no, that wasn't what I... Yes, I'm with her."

"I'll assume you're also with Matthew, then?"

Derek blinked. He gave Marina a confused look as he said, "How did you know...?"

"I know my little sister well enough." Something like laughter sounded on the other end, and he heard a girl shouting "Shut up!" "You aren't at that Asian ice cream store, are you?"

Something about the way Aewir said "Asian" made Derek tilt his head. "Um..."

"Don't eat the sundae." Aewir's voice was suddenly as cold as...well, as cold as an ice cream sundae. "You'll never be able to eat ice cream again."

This was obviously an exaggeration, seeing as Aewir had been eating a popsicle just a few days prior, but Derek somehow found himself nodding in agreement. He then blinked when he realized the problem.

Aewir interpreted the silence correctly with a sigh. "...He already ordered them, didn't he?"

A sound akin to a whimper escaped Derek's throat.

"...I'll pay for your funeral."

_Beep. _The call ended unceremoniously with that ending note.

Derek tucked the earphones back into his jacket's pocket. As he was doing so, he was acutely aware of the sound of footsteps growing closer and closer and closer. _Clink! _went the glass, _clunk!_ went the tray, and _clank!_ went the silverware. Without knowing why, the boy began to shake, breaking into cold sweat. If it was something that Aewir had bothered to warn him about, this was...this was...

"Jaa!" The man laid the tray onto the table. On it were three glass cups, filled with a vanilla glop and topped with chocolate syrup and what looked like whipped cream. "Eat good! Eat fresh! Eat ice cream!"

Matthew positively beamed at that. "Thanks, Chang."

"'Ey, no problem!" He pronounced "problem" as if it had four syllables. "We good friends! On house!"

Derek stared at the table in silent horror. When he dared to glance up, he saw Marina watching him with concerned eyes. He tried to warn her, but there was no way of doing so in front of Matthew without him realizing.

"Well, let's dig in, then," Matthew said. He took two of the sundaes off the tray and laid them in front of Marina and Derek, along with spoons. He then took the last one for himself, smiled down at it, and took a spoonful.

Derek watched as Matthew raised the spoon to his mouth. The vanilla was of a creamy white, as was the cream itself, which contrasted heavily with the dark chocolate syrup. It seemed to take an eternity for the spoon to actually enter his mouth and then another for him to take it out again.

Matthew closed his eyes. It was an expression of sheer bliss.

"It's one hundred percent homemade," Matthew explained after swallowing. He took a napkin from the box of them on the table and wiped his mouth. "It's got a bit of a unique taste compared to the store ones."

Derek nodded, glancing towards Marina. She was already picking up her spoon, the intention to take a bite much too evident on her face. He wanted to scream at her to wait, to at least let him test to see if it was safe to eat first—something!

"HOLD IT!"

The sound of the shout was like that of a slamming door. Everyone jumped and turned to the front entrance. Entering the store was the group of four saviors: Damion the idiot, Ciel the punster, Caitlin the mature, and Aewir the cold.

The foremost was the source of the shout, and he heroically lunged for the table. He almost slammed into it, but with a terrific movement, he pivoted and spun, latching onto Derek instead. With a superhuman movement, he grabbed the sundae on the table along with the spoon and devoured the entirety of the ice cream with a single magnificent bite. Matthew, Marina, and Derek were left to stare in horror.

As expected of Caitlin the mature, she called out to her partner, "Damion! Don't be rude!"

Ciel and Aewir were silent. The former was apparently trying to figure out a pun for the situation, and the latter was making his way over to the table as well. He glared down at the sundae in front of Marina, and, with a movement not unlike the master idiot, he downed Marina's share in a single sweep of his arm.

"A-Aewir!" Marina protested in a flustered voice.

He slammed the glass back on the table and wiped the cream from his mouth. A positively disgusted look entered his eyes. Derek was painfully aware that Damion had already run into the bathroom.

"Aewir!" Matthew echoed. His smile was replaced with a frown, though it wasn't a very serious one. "You didn't really have to eat Marina's, did you?"

"How can you eat that?" he asked, shaking his head. He excused himself to the bathroom, leaving the others to watch in bewilderment.

Ciel broke out of it first. "I guess that was _just desserts _for _deserting_ you, eh Derek?"

Silence.

-.-.-

"Ciel Larson, from Cerulean City."

"Caitlin Feyer, from Saffron City. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Matthew Summers. The pleasure is mine, Caitlin, Ciel." The boy smiled and shook their hands before turning to the green-eyed boy. "Damion, correct?"

"Yep!" the boy said with a grin. It took a few moments for the confusion to hit in. "Wait... How do you know my name?"

"Chris told me a bit about you two. Well, as much as he could with Andrea interrupting him every few moments..." Matthew laughed, but it was short and bitter. "I heard you're Derek's traveling partner. That's great. I do hope you're taking care of him until his wrist is better?"

"Of course!"

Derek would have slapped Damion across the head if not for said wrist. Instead, he satisfied himself by saying, "It really helps to have you leave me behind and go off with everyone else, huh, Damion?"

"That goes without..." The boy paused. "Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Derek slapped a hand to his face while the others laughed. Aewir, however, was silent, his hands in his jacket pockets. He still had a sour expression on his face, and his eyes occasionally glared back, toward the direction the ice cream store was.

"Are you all right, Aewir?" Matthew asked, noticing his friend's expression almost as fast as Derek. "We could stop and rest, if you want."

"It's that stupid sundae's fault."

Matthew sighed. "If you dislike them that much, you didn't have to eat it."

_No, Matthew,_ Derek thought silently. _If Aewir hadn't eaten that, I don't know what would have happened._

Aewir just looked away grimly, obviously thinking the same thing.

The group began walking back to the main plaza. Damion and Ciel explained that they had followed Aewir to watch some of the preliminary matches of the Indigo League. When Derek asked them how the Trainers were, Damion answered confidently, "I'm sure we could beat them!"

Derek turned to Ciel, who gave a noncommittal shrug. He did add as an afterthought, "Maybe one or two of them." He smiled slyly as he said this.

"Well, Chris, Andrea, and I were all some of the earlier matches. That's why we had some free time, which is when you found us, Derek." Matthew patted Marina on the head. "Marina here always made sure to check the time carefully."

The girl seemed a bit embarrassed by this and turned her head to hide her expression. The black Pokétch on her thin pale wrist seemed oddly prominent all of a sudden. Derek hadn't even noticed, but she had probably been sneaking glances at it throughout their entire time together. Maybe he sucked at socializing even more than he thought.

"Chris is here?" Damion asked excitedly. "Where?"

Derek opened his mouth, but Caitlin spoke before he got the chance. "We're obviously going to them, aren't we? That's just common sense."

"Ehhh... Derek always talks about that, but I don't really get it."

"C'mon!" Ciel said suddenly. He grinned to himself at the pun. "C'mon, senses!"

Marina giggled a bit at that, though most everyone else groaned. Matthew smiled and led the group into the plaza.

Chris and Andrea were still by the fountain, though they were sitting now and seemed much less agitated. They were engaged in a quiet conversation, oblivious to the group as they neared the two.

"I checked the layout earlier. None of us are facing each other."

Andrea shrugged. In her hands was a half-eaten ice cream cone, which she took another bite out of. A bit of the pink strawberry cream found its way onto her cheek. "To be expected, of course."

"Of course," Chris agreed, nodding thoughtfully, also taking a bite out of his own cone, which was chocolate. "Oh, you got some on your face."

"Oh, shaddup," Andrea snapped. She turned away and ran her hand across her lips to brush away the ice cream.

"No, not there. Right...there." He waited for her to turn back to him before pressing a finger to her cheek, swiping off the cream delicately. He held it out on his finger with a smirk. "What are you, six? Still getting ice cream on your face like that."

She scowled and swung her head away from him in the group's direction. Her mouth open momentarily at the sight of them, but she closed it almost immediately. Her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink.

"W-what..." Her eyes flashed with a suddenly deadly light. "What are _you_ lookin' at?"

"Hm?" Chris turned, his finger to his lips, but his reaction was much more common. "Oh, the group's gotten a lot bigger. Introductions, Derek?"

Derek gave a halfhearted, completely humorless breath of laughter. He would never understand Chris and Andrea's relationship.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Why oh why did I ever make an Indigo Plateau arc?**

**Finally! Starting next chapter, matches will begin. I can finally get back to the main storyline. It'll probably be another two or three chapters, though... Man. Deal with it, guys. I made the worst mistake ever by starting this.  
><strong>

**That aside, I actually took a trip down memory lane recently. Checked out some old friends' stories (like pokestets23's story on Drake Smith) and found some new ones, like KittyLovesManga's "A Pure Pokemon Heart." Check 'em out if you get the time. It really makes me smile when I realize how much I've seen and learned on this site.  
><strong>

**This is all part of my secret plan to pretend that I never said the words "finish Lost Memories." That was stupid of me. I have quite a few chapters backed up, but I keep getting stuck. I'm having the most fun writing scenes with Michael, though. It's more fun than Lost Smiles, lemme tell you that.  
><strong>

**Anywho! Some things I wanna say: Odile, if you're reading this, I hope you're all right! Your fans are still waiting, you know! Ikits-nee-san, let's get through this, one step at a time~ And, well, you probably know who you are, but I only have three words: "Why the hell?" If you read this, know that I'm laughing very hard.  
><strong>

**I make long author notes. See y'all! Hopefully I will finish Lost Memories soon, but no more stupid promises I can't keep, haha.  
><strong>


	34. A Light Summer Rose Part I

"Welcome to the Indigo Plateau pre-quarterfinals! We have the top sixteen rookie Trainers of the region gathered from all over Kanto, who are all sure to give us a great show. Give it up for all our stupendous competitors so far!"

The crowd roared their approval, and a thunderstorm of clapping rang throughout the stadium. Derek turned to his left with amusement as Caitlin covered her ears and groaned.

"I should have just watched from the Pokémon Center," she mumbled. "Why can't they be quieter? It's immature to get so excited."

"Oh c'mon, Caitlin!" Damion said, grinning as he turned to her. He seemed ready to bounce off the cushioned orange bleachers they were sitting on. "That's the whole fun of it! Shouting, eating popcorn, clapping, drinking soda, cheering, getting some burritos—"

"Going to the bathroom in the middle of the tournament and missing everything," Derek added, glaring at the boy. "Blowing all your money that you don't have and then asking me for some more."

"_More_tifying," Ciel said from beside Caitlin.

"Shut up, Ciel."

"Don't you mean 'Ciel'ence?"

Derek had no idea how Caitlin had survived this guy's company. After just four days, he was already rather sick of the awful puns.

He turned his attention to the sixteen Trainers. Thanks to Aewir, they had gotten good seats and were quite close to the battlefield. The Gym Leader had shrugged off their gratitude with a "Make sure to learn how the real Trainers battle" and then left with Marina to the special area for Gym Leaders. The remark had rather stung, but the intent behind it was obviously good.

Derek glanced at Matthew, Chris, and Andrea in turn. They were scattered amongst the sixteen, but each stood out magnificently. The long sweeping jacket of Matthew, the soft blond of Chris, and the red tints in Andrea's brown hair were all oddly prominent in the group, even from this distance. Each had a different expression: Matthew was smiling pleasantly, Chris was studying the others, and Andrea was smirking.

"The computer will now randomly select _two _of these sixteen Trainers for the first match!"

The large screen standing up from the edge of the wall of the coliseum blinked on, displaying in two rows sixteen square portraits of each of the Trainers. The first square (which was a young blonde girl with frameless glasses) was outlined with a yellow light. After a short pause, the light moved on to the next square. Then the next. Faster, faster, as the crowd's hearts followed, the light sped across the board, until two squares permanently glowed.

"Andrea Rose and Jordan Stone!"

The crowd roared, and Derek could distinctly hear both names being chanted by the crowd. He had never even heard of the latter Trainer, but as the other fourteen disappeared from the field, he could see the two remaining.

Jordan Stone was a lean, dark-skinned teenager. He looked about thirteen or fourteen, and he towered over the eleven-year-old Andrea, who had, to be fair, towered over Derek herself. The Trainer was wearing shorts, which revealed his thin legs, and the arms sticking out of his short-sleeved polo were also quite slender.

The image on the computer screen changed from the randomizer to the competitor layout. The two Trainers' portraits appeared at the top in two rectangles, Andrea (red) on the left, Jordan (green) on the right. Below each of them, three slanted rhombi glowed in the same colors.

Andrea stepped toward Jordan. Her stride was long and slow, and every step was accompanied with another chuckle. By the time she had reached Jordan, she looked she was about to burst out laughing.

She held her hand out to him. She said with not-so-hidden sarcasm, "May the best Trainer win?"

Jordan gave her a shaky smile. "Right. May the best Trainer win."

They shook, and the audience once again burst into a round of applause. They then separated, entering the Trainer boxes on opposite sides of the dirt battlefield. Derek watched them in silence, particularly Jordan, frowning slightly. Damion's cheers deafened his right ear.

"Something wrong, Derek?" Caitlin asked him, lowering her hands from her head. She winced as the sound flooded through the plateau, but she shook it off bravely.

After a short pause, he shook his head. "No, it's nothing. It's pretty loud, huh?"

She smiled wryly in response before covering her ears again. She turned her gaze back to the battlefield, and Derek followed suit.

The people seemed so excited for all this, he noted to himself blandly. All of them, watching with blind eyes. Did the Trainers he see right now know how easily people died? Did the audience sitting around him realize what happened on these journeys?

He put his hand on the Great Ball on his belt. Louis Archer was from the so-called "final army." What were they even looking to do? Murder? He had said he was looking for recruits...

"Well, then, let the first match of the pre-quarterfinals begin!"

The crowd cheered as the battle began. The two Trainers threw their Poké Balls in, and the Pokémon inside burst out with tremendous roars. The sound jarred Derek, breaking his concentration and dragging him back to reality. There was no point in worrying about what he couldn't do anything about. Not yet, anyway.

The judge, dressed in a sickening orange and holding two flags in his hands (one red, the other green), called out loudly, "Andrea has selected Typhlosion! Jordan has selected Poliwrath! Begin the battle!"

The first boxes under each of the portraits blinked. Under Andrea, the red box was filled with an image of a Typhlosion, glaring at the crowd with a smirk not unlike the Trainer's above it. Under Jordan, an image of a Poliwrath appeared in the green box.

The distance made it difficult to see the Poliwrath clearly, but Derek knew the Pokémon from his own childhood studies. Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon. A Water / Fighting hybrid standing at four feet three inches, just a bit under one hundred and thirty centimeters, with a nasty tendency to pummel the crap out of everything with its white gloved fists. The muscles under its sleek blue skin tensed and loosened every now and then, as if preparing to throw a punch.

Neither Pokémon moved, both of them waiting for their Trainers' orders. Andrea had the nerve to yawn, holding a hand to her mouth. Jordan watched her, his eyebrows threatening to overtake his eyes.

Finally, the silence was broken. "Blitz, Flamethrower."

"Water Gun!"

The Typhlosion opened his mouth and released a spinning rush of flames. The Poliwrath countered with a surge of water that it released from its hands. Elements clashed briefly before erupting into steam, just like back in the plaza. Everything in the battlefield was suddenly cloaked in the mist, a white curtain of water vapor.

"Hey! I can't see anything!" Damion groaned. "And it's hot!"

"Can you see me?" Ciel asked with a joking tone.

Instinctively, Derek responded. "Shut up, Ciel." He immediately realized the trap Ciel had laid, though, and he scowled when the boy laughed.

"Aha, Derek, nice pun. You're really _fired_ up!"

Derek rolled his eyes.

"O-Oi, Poli!" Jordan called out. His voice trembled slightly, and he seemed too distressed to call out even a simple command. Derek's scowl deepened; a Surf attack would end this battle easily.

Andrea, on the other hand, seemed to have expected this. "Blitz, do it!"

The Typhlosion let out a roar in reply, which echoed in the battlefield and seemed to shake the air. It seemed an eternity before the sound faded into silence, at which point Jordan finally seemed to gather his senses.

"Poli, Icy Wind!"

A draft of cold air swept through the arena and brushed the hot steam out. Some of the vapor froze, dropping as a gentle hail over the audience. Damion let out a few "Ouch!"es as a notably large piece of ice hit him in the head. Ciel chuckled, but he fell into silence when he saw the field. A magnificent hole stood where Blitz had once been, any sounds of its creation having been blocked out by the roar. Jordan and his Poliwrath both seemed stunned, and they were too slow to react to Andrea's call: "Now, Blitz!"

The ground behind Poli ripped apart as easily as paper as the Typhlosion made his entrance. The Poliwrath only managed to half turn around before being knocked down with a Fire Punch to the face. With a loud thud, the Tadpole Pokémon hit the ground, unconscious.

"And the first round goes to Andrea and her Typhlosion! What a surprising turn of events! How will Jordan take down this _monster _battler!?"

The announcer could barely even be heard over the screams of the crowd. Andrea smirked, nodding her head when Blitz turned to her. The Typhlosion gave her a thumbs-up, smiling.

Jordan returned Poli with downward eyes. The image of the Poliwrath on the computer screen grayed out, leaving two more to go. One was soon filled as he released his second Pokémon—a Magmar.

"W-what's that?" Damion asked in open-mouthed amazement. The Fire Pokémon rolled its shoulders and cocked its head, a sly smile on its face. "It's awesome!"

"You have a Pokédex, moron," Derek responded, watching the Magmar. He watched the green rhombus filled with an image of the Spitfire Pokémon as Damion grumbled things under his breath. Derek distinctly hear him say "Didn't have to call me a moron."

The electronic voice of Dexter sounded beside him and quieted the mumblings of Damion. "Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon. Its body is like a furnace, making Magmar a living inferno. It has been discovered only near active volcanoes."

"Wow..."

"Andrea's switching?" Ciel exclaimed, making both Derek and Damion look up. He was right; the girl held two Poké Balls in her hands. Blitz disappeared in a flash of red, only to be replaced with another Pokémon from Johto. It was a mirror image of the last round, Fire versus Water once again but on opposite sides.

Derek stared in wonder at Andrea's Pokémon. "Kingdra..."

Damion seemed equally amazed, but the Pokédex in his hands let out a disappointing "No data found." The boy whimpered, "D-Derek... My Pokédex..."

Derek sighed. "Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon. That body is covered with extremely durable scales, and it's light too so that it can move around quickly. It can use either physical or special moves and crush anything equally hard. It can cause whirlpools just by yawning."

"J-just by yawning!?"

The Dragon Pokémon gazed at the Magmar with a bored expression. He—for the Kingdra's cocky attitude reminded him of his asshole brother—turned to Andrea, shaking his head. The girl scowled, saying something in a low voice that the microphones didn't catch. His frown was evident as he nodded, turning back to his opponent.

"Begin the match!"

Before anybody could so much as cheer, the Kingdra burst into action. Raising his head to the sky, he began to spin in the form of a Twister attack, at the same time releasing a spiraling burst of water from his snout. He accelerated to a shocking speed and created a whirlwind of sloshing water around him, hiding him from view. The area around the Kingdra was being hit with an intense rain storm and soon was nothing more than a muddy mess.

Jordan seemed completely baffled by this, but his Magmar took the matter into his own hands. With a roar, he countered the watery cyclone with a Fire Blast attack. The water didn't hesitate to vaporize, and the winds swept the steam out immediately—only for the audience to gasp. For the second time, Andrea's Pokémon had disappeared from view.

"Magmar, don't let it get behind—"

"Too slow, Jordan!"

The two holes Blitz had dug in the last round erupted like volcanoes with torrents of water. The Magmar, caught off guard, was too slow to react to the speeding Kingdra that flew out of the ground. The Dragon Pokémon shot the Magmar in the back with a perfectly aimed Hydro Pump, knocking it out instantly.

"'Atta boy, Twister!"

The Kingdra merely sighed down at his fallen opponent.

Jordan returned his Magmar, biting his lip as he did so. He had looked so big before, but now, with his shoulders slumped, he looked a lot smaller. The crowd didn't seem to notice, though, so focused they were on cheering for Andrea.

"That's two in a row for the challenger from Johto! Can no one stop her!?"

"Hah..." was the only sound that escaped Damion's jaw-dropped mouth.

"Hah is right," Ciel agreed, his arms crossed. Derek was surprised he had even heard Damion. "She used the holes her Typhlosion had dug from the last battle to attack again. I didn't even know that was possible."

"It was ridiculous." Derek shook his head in wonder. "That Kingdra would barely even fit in the hole, let alone be able to swim through it. She must have planned that beforehand and told Blitz to make them bigger or something."

"But why?" Damion asked, apparently snapping out of his trance. "She's sweeping the floor with Jordan's Pokémon. Did she need all that strategy? Couldn't she just, you know, attack head on?"

"We can do that since we're all the same level," Derek pointed out. "And because you suck at coming up with strategies. But she's facing someone with years more experience, years more battling... Their Pokémon are different on a physical level."

The last remark seemed to stick in everyone's minds. Derek realized his mistake, but he had no way to rectify it. He lowered his head as he, too, suffered the memories of the Tyranitar crushing them one by one. Everything just seemed to be coming back to Louis.

If Andrea could beat Jordan like this, couldn't they have beaten Louis...?

Caitlin seemed to be aware of the silence and looked up. "Something the matter, you guys...?"

At the sound of her voice, Ciel seemed to be the first of the three to recover. He gave a shaky smile that wasn't convincing anyone and said, "Well, it could turn around."

Derek hesitated a bit, but he nodded in the end. Caitlin frowned, though she turned back to the battle. She forgot to return her hands to ears this time, though.

Jordan seemed awfully reluctant as he reached for the Poké Balls on his belt. He had no choice in his selection—the Pokémon had to be preselected for the match, after all. But he could quit. He could forfeit. Resign.

A Trainer doesn't quit, though.

"Let's go, Oddi!" he shouted, throwing the Poké Ball into the air. The metal caught the sunlight and glistened before falling to the ground heavily, snapping open with a _cachink!_ The Grass-type Oddish burst out with a light show and somersaulted through the air to land on its small little feet. It gave the most intimidating growl it could, resulting in a multitude of fangirls in the crowd to squeal.

"IT'S SOOOO CUTE!"

Derek glanced at the girl to his left, but she seemed to have no interest in adoring over the little Pokémon. Her eyes were dead serious as she watched the judge raise his flags.

"Begin!"

Andrea, having chosen not to switch this time, nodded towards Twister. "How about we end this quickly, eh?"

The Kingdra snorted. With a low noise in his throat, he began to dance. No, not dance—nothing as strange as that. The light began to distort around the Pokémon, darkening into an odd purple-black aura and causing ripple-like illusions to result in some manner of twisted choreography. Derek knew for a fact that Twister himself wasn't moving at all. His friends, however, didn't seem to know this.

"Why is he dancing?" Damion asked.

"...Dance battle?" Ciel suggested. "I mean, Oddish are always dancing in the forests—no, wait, those are Bellossom..."

Derek sighed. "Dragon Dance, you idiots. It's a status move that raises speed and attack power. He's going for a physical sweep."

Caitlin's voice suddenly sounded from beside him. Her hands had dropped from the sides of her head and were clutching at the bleachers."Is that—?"

She didn't get to finish her sentence before a blinding light flooded the area. It had the effect of turning on a light in the middle of the night: many people gasped, and some even shouted in surprise and worry. Derek found himself nodding at Jordan's strategy despite his blindness.

"...F-Flash." Derek couldn't see her (lights were still dancing in his eyes), but Caitlin's voice sounded impressed.

Andrea seemed to have been stuck by Jordan's Flash strategy, as she was silent for a few moments. Eventually, though, she shouted to Twister, "Try a Surf—a weak one, mind ya!"

The Kingdra made a noise of assent, which was soon followed by the rush of running water. It was quiet, though, and the only sound that showed it had even done anything was Jordan's distressed cry.

"C-cold!"

His Oddish let out a concerned "Oddi?"

"You got the direction, Twister? Waterfall that Oddish!"

"Fire that SolarBeam!"

The sound of the SolarBeam being unleashed was an odd one. It was like turning on a fan in the summer, slowly raising the power and quickening the spinning blades. The sound drowned out the murmurs of the crowd, the cry of the announcer, and soon seemed to cut through the air itself with its howl. Like a summer gale, the attack tore through the sightless silence and painted a mental image vivid enough for everyone to see.

Thunder trailed the tempest. The sound that followed that was completely unexpected. Derek found his sight finally returning, but he had to blink a few times to confirm what he saw: a crater of sodden dirt, two laughing Trainers, and two mud-covered Pokémon.

"T-Twister," Andrea gasped, "y-ya...pfft!"

"Kiii," the Kingdra mumbled, promptly washing himself off with a heavy douse of water. He hit Andrea in the face with a small splash, but she was too busy laughing to even get angry.

Jordan was on his knees and was shaking with contained laughter. He poked the Pokémon who stood there in front of him. "Oddi...you...you..."

"Oddish odd?" The little Grass Pokémon glanced down at its muddy feet. It shook the mud out of its leaves and gave a cute "Odd!" with a smile.

"Well, well, well! Looks like we're all a bit _muddled_, eh?" the announcer said, chuckling. The crowd gave an approving roar at the pun, and Derek could hear Ciel joining in. "Would the Trainers like a quick breather, or shall we continue the match?"

Twister shot a gentle Water Gun at the Oddish, causing the remaining mud to slide off. He turned to Andrea, his expression much too easy to read. His Trainer sighed, smiled, and said, "Well, Jordan?"

"I'm good, too." He nodded. "We're ready."

"Well, then! Let's continue the match!"

Andrea dusted herself off before straightening up again. Her face was still a bit flushed from laughing as she said, "Jordan, shall we end this with one last shot?"

"I think that's a good idea." The boy, too, stood back up and took a long, deep breath. He exhaled slowly. "Oddi, how about a Petal Dance?"

"Twister, let's show 'em why I named ya Twister."

Bright pink petals shot into the air like confetti. The crowd let out "ooh"s and "ahh"s as the petals began to float on a gentle breeze, forming figure eights and wide circles in the air. It was a slow and dizzying movement, hypnotizing and entrancing.

On the other side of the arena, Twister had begun to spin, just like against the Magmar from before. It was a much harsher wind than the Petal Dance, grinding and growling, like a wild animal staring down at its prey. The two moves, so similar yet so different, were moments away from clashing.

There was a moment's silence. The calm before the storm. The deep breath before the plunge. The soft embrace before the final end.

"Go!"

"End this!"

Derek couldn't even hear the two attacks hit each other. They enveloped each other, gusts of wind just mixing into one big mass, and then broke apart and blasted right through each other. Both Pokémon seemed shocked as the two winds, amplified by the other, shot straight toward them. A storm of muddy gravel knocked Oddi into the ground; a squall of razor sharp petals slashed through even Twister's toughest scales.

Both portraits grayed out on the screen.

"And we have our first participant for the quarterfinals! Please congratulate Andrea Rose on her stunning victory over tournament favorite Jordan Stone in a match that's sure to go down in the history books!"

"Andrea! Andrea!" the crowd echoed joyously.

Ciel's voice was barely audible over the crowd. "They really aren't giving Jordan enough credit. He made a huge turnaround that last round. Andrea's lucky the top sixteen aren't full battles."

Damion tilted his head. Derek almost felt like doing the same; Ciel hadn't even noticed the rhyme he had just made. "Really? I think she would've won anyway."

"Hard to say," Derek said noncommittally. "Either way, she's one of the top eight rookie Trainers at age eleven. That's impressive in itself."

"What's really impressive is their sportsmanship," Caitlin said, smiling and leaning forward in her seat leaned back in his own. She seemed to have forgotten the roar of the crowd by now and was watching Jordan and Andrea shake hands. "See? He was so nervous at first, but now he's just grinning like Damion."

Ciel nodded, the scowl fading from his face. "Yeah. Makes you smile too, huh?"

Damion beamed. "I told you this was fun!" He turned away from them and called out to the man selling concessions, "Hey! Mister! Can I get a burrito?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - As Fire'sFly has told me about battle chapters, I realize that this chapter is definitely not an ideal one. However, at this point, I don't know what it was. Relief? But something drove me to keep writing, and, well, you got a battle chapter.**

**Instead of apologizing as always (since that gets annoying), how about something else? Actually, I'm supposed to be writing a paper for school, but hey, this is so much more fun. The fact that I can still find it fun is great. Thirtysome chapters in, and we're still going strong! Truth is, though, that Lost Smiles, Revamped! is way overwritten. Derek and Damion were supposed to be battling Sabrina by chapter 16. Whoops. I'm having a blast, though. Hope you all are as well. I'm kidding. Don't enjoy this crap. lol  
><strong>

**As per the usual, I'll be asking you to go read my co-writer Ikitsumi's stories. But this time, I ask a bit differently: please look forward to her newest story. She'll be writing a "revamped" version of Isshu no Aoi Kaze. (No, she won't be naming it something as lame as this. Thank God.) Hope you all check it out!**

**Another story I'd like to ask y'all to check out: Hell is Cold by 3LittleMuffinMen. It's a Bleach fic, not a Pokemon fic, but it's an OC fic just like I like. I'm kinda betareading it, so I'd be glad if you guys could go see it. I spent endless hours slaving over it, and while we both agree it's not the best, I think he's doing well for a newbie. (What am I, a pro? I still suck at writing, haha.)**

**This chapter might turn out to be 4000 words thanks to this AN. Oops. See you all! I have chapter 33 done and 34 half complete, so we'll be done with the Indigo League very soon. Sorry for dragging things out-I swear, the first thing I'll fix when I get out of this tournament is length. Obviously I suck at concision-look at my author's note. (Insert facepalm.) And dang it, I apologized again.  
><strong>


	35. A Light Summer Rose Part II

After Andrea and Jordan had both left the battlefield—the former heading back into the waiting room, the latter joining what seemed to be his family in the crowd—the screen began to flash once again. The announcer cheerfully declared the second round would begin after a five minute break.

Derek glanced to his side and sighed at the sight of Damion digging into his burrito. It was a bit disturbing how much the boy could eat, really. He chose instead to listen to Ciel and Caitlin, who were chatting about the recent battle, and watched as the stadium battlefield began to change.

Moaning metal and shrieking steel were audible even over the hubbub of the crowd. The muddy wreck that Andrea and Jordan had left behind split down the middle and broke cleanly in half, folding inward toward the ground like a slice of bread being folded in half. Derek blinked a few times to confirm he was seeing right as another square block of land was lifted by mechanical arm to the surface, this time one of grass. It fit snugly into the dark square left behind by the old dirt block, and the strange contraption went silent.

Derek turned to the people around him, but no one even seemed to be paying attention to the insane display that had just taken place before them. He wasn't sure whether or not to be more amazed by that.

After the five minute break, the battles continued. The computer once again randomly selected two of the now fourteen remaining Trainers. Neither Chris nor Matthew were selected, so Derek slumped back, his interest dulled a bit.

The battles that followed Andrea's were slow by comparison. Derek found himself tapping his finger on his leg with impatience, eager for Chris or Matthew to show up. With four Trainers remaining, the computer chose the most predictable, cliché choice ever. Derek almost slapped a hand to his face.

"Chris Lightwood and Matthew Summers!"

The sleeping crowd suddenly woke with a thunderous sound of shouting and stamping. The two Trainers stepped up onto the battlefield (which was now a rock field) and shook hands. Both were smiling.

"Chris Lightwood, a new entry to the Indigo Plateau from Blueland Town, has already garnered quite the reputation with his calm attitude and cool battling style. Opposite him, we have runner-up of last year's competition, the ever-popular—"

"MATTHEW! MATTHEW! MATTHEW!"

"—well, guess we don't need introductions here!"

Chris waved to the crowd, an excited smile on his face. His eyes were shining with a childish enthusiasm. Matthew's expression was a bit odd, though. The boy's smile had faded, his eyes focused on something in the crowd. Derek turned, but too many people were in the way for him to see anything more than a few hundred heads. Matthew tilted his head ever so slightly before nodding and turning back to Chris.

Wordlessly, the two Trainers threw their Poké Balls into the air together. Silence gripped the arena, only for it to be torn apart in a cheerful cry as the capsules burst open. White light materialized, took form, and faded.

The judge raised his flags up. "Matthew has selected Gardevoir! Chris has selected Arcanine!"

The baying of the Legendary Pokémon drowned out the roar of the crowd. Arcanine, the Fire-type canine of legendary speed, showed its fangs in a playful grin. The orange-red fur coating his body was streaked with black stripes here and there, and his mane and tail were of a creamy color. Tufts of similarly colored fur also adorned his legs, as if wispy clouds caught there.

Opposite the Fire-type stood Blanca, the Gardevoir. She did a small curtsy and bowed her head. A soft glow enveloped her, emerald green in color, and she tilted her head. Instantly, almost the entire crowd gasped, including the three children Derek was sitting with. He turned to them in confusion, and they turned to him, as well.

"D-did she just...?"

"She s-s-spoke!"

"I-I heard Psychic Pokémon could, b-but—w-wow..."

"What are you guys talking about?" Derek asked, bewildered. "I didn't hear anything."

They stared at him, and he stared at them. Damion asked him with a quivering voice, "Y-you really didn't hear t-that? It was like a woman's voice! A really pretty voice!"

Derek raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Apparently, the three weren't sure how to respond to that, and silence fell. The beginning of the match saved them from the awkward moment from continuing.

The referee raised his flags up and swung them down. "Begin the match!"

"Ignis, don't let him—ah...crap."

Before Chris could even get a command out, the Gardevoir began to glow, this time with a sapphire light. The flash of blue blinded Derek for an instant, and by the time his sight returned, Ignis was imprisoned in a pyramid of a rainbow hue.

Chris frowned, but he was quick to respond. "Roar!"

The Arcanine opened its mouth and let out a horrifying blast of sound. Blanca noticeably winced, and her concentration broke instantly. She disappeared back into her Poké Ball just as Ignis was freed from his prison.

The portrait of Blanca on the computer screen went dim, but not completely grayed out. Matthew looked up at the screen with a faint smile before turning back to Chris. "Not a bad idea. Wasn't it a bit fast for you to use Roar, though?"

Chris also smiled. "Better you switch than Ignis be slaughtered."

"I suppose. Azul!"

The second rhombus filled as Matthew released his Dragonite. The dragon nodded towards Ignis, smiling slightly. The Arcanine also inclined his head.

Matthew pulled his jacket closer to his body and pulled the zipper at his stomach up. "You may want to zip up, Chris."

"You aren't thinking of doing anything funny, are you?"

"No." Matthew pulled his sleeves as far as they would go. "This is legitimate concern."

Chris just shrugged before zipping up his hoodie. As soon as Chris lowered his hands, Matthew nodded and called to Azul, "_Carga Dragón_!"

Chris's eyes widened. He barely even managed to shout out "Giga Impact!" before Azul took off, the rock field cracking under the force. A blur ran through the battlefield, a trail of wind, a wisp of smoke, a flying mass of dragon, before the shattering sound of broken rock resounded through the air.

It was raining debris. Stray shards of stone shot toward the two Trainers, digging gashes through fabric. When the falling fragments had finally ceased their assault, Chris's hoodie was not much more than two ripped pieces of cloth attached by a thread. The hood lay a few feet away, cut cleanly in half. Matthew seemed untouched other than the mask of dirt he wiped off his face.

Ignis lay on the ground, his mane coated with a new layer of dust. Chris rushed over to the Pokémon and lay a hand on his head.

"Ah, Ignis... That was one heck of an attack."

The Arcanine made no response save for a half-conscious cough.

Chris returned Ignis to his Poké Ball, and the appropriate portrait grayed out. The blond glanced towards Azul, who had smashed into the ground a few dozen feet away. The result was a crater the size of a small pool, which the dragon slowly crawled out of. A wry smile pulled at Chris's lips.

"Well," he said, a low chuckle in his voice, "guess I should have seen that one coming." He tore the remains of his jacket off of him and discarded it behind him. "She missed, though, didn't she?"

Matthew blinked. "As expected of the rising star." He smiled. "You really are observant."

"Save the compliments for later. It'll make beating you all the more sweet."

They both smiled. Chris reached for his belt and pulled another one of the Poké Balls from it. He hesitated a bit before throwing it into the air, watching with narrowed eyes as it popped open. Dropping heavily to the ground was an oddity.

For the second time that day, the fangirls found something to squeal about. "ERMAGAWD IT'S SO CUTE!"

"Pa?" The little EleSquirrel Pokémon puffed out its cheeks and bounced onto Chris's head. It slapped a tiny paw against the mass of blond hair. "Chipa pa!"

"Hey, hey," the Trainer said, pulling it off his head. "This is an official battle, Less."

The Pachirisu scowled up at him. The little blue electric squirrel puffed out her white cheeks, which had similar electric pouches to that of a Pikachu's, only yellow instead of red. With its bushy tail, it knocked Chris's hands away and fell to the ground lightly. It glared up at Azul.

"Chiii..."

The Dragonite seemed to frown.

"Who is that?" Damion asked, leaning forward. The Pokédex in his hands seemed forgotten as he turned his head to Derek. "She's really cute! Is she from Hoenn, like Matthew?"

"Sinnoh," Derek said. "How'd you know she's a girl? Woman's intuition?"

A snort sounded from his left. He glanced toward Caitlin, but her eyes were on the battlefield. He pretended to not notice the faint blush to her cheeks.

"Uhhh, because she's cute."

"How nice." Derek sighed. He gazed at the Pachirisu's head and noted the length of the stripe. "She's a girl all right. Pachirisu aren't particularly powerful, but like other Electric Pokémon, they're fast."

"So like a Pikachu?"

Derek nodded. "I've heard they're distant relatives of some sort."

"Now that's _shocking_ to hear."

"Ciel, do you ever shut up?"

"Hehe. You said Ciel and up in the same sentence."

"I don't even get that one."

Back on the arena, Matthew seemed as amazed with the Pachirisu as Damion. He nodded toward the EleSquirrel. "I had no idea you had a Pachirisu. It's pretty surprising to be honest."

"Is it?"

"You have a model team after all. Full of powerhouses like Gale and Ignis. I'm sure none of us expected a cute Pokémon like Less."

"Ahh... Elesque is a unique case." Chris smiled. "I'd use Gale, but I didn't register him for this battle. Less's got a better chance at beating her, after all." He motioned towards Azul, who flapped her wings.

"You chose her specifically to fight Azul?"

"Does that surprise you?"

Matthew shook his head. "If this Pachirisu is one of your Pokémon, Chris, then I have no doubt that it's a formidable opponent."

"Good to know. Mind if I take the first shot?"

"Please go ahead."

Chris smiled. "All right Less. Do what you do best."

Elesque nodded her small head once and twitched her tail. By the time Derek had registered the little movement, she had already disappeared from sight, causing a wave of gasps in the bleachers. Damion nearly fell over onto the person in front of him due to leaning too far forward.

"D-D-Derek! She disappeared! Oh my Arceus, she disappeared!"

"She's right there, moron."

"Eh?"

A miniature sun glowed in the far side of the arena, near the very edge of the rock field. A golden light washed over the stones, only for a sudden blur of blue to dash through them, accompanied by the shining star. The Electro Ball smashed into Azul's side, right above the leg, and tendrils of electricity spilled as if from a sparkler.

The Dragonite made to grab the small Pachirisu, but in a comic fashion, Elesque jumped onto Azul's head. She tickled the dragon's neck with her bushy tail, earning a laugh from the dragon, before pulling back and smashing her shining steel tail into the opponent's head. Disoriented by the Iron Tail, Azul stumbled in a drunken teeter.

Matthew's eyes widened. "That's one fast Pachirisu."

"Small, quick, and agile." Chris held up three fingers and displayed them to Matthew. "Those are the three requirements to beating Azul. This is the best way to fight your style, Matthew."

The Hoenn Trainer was silent. He watched as Elesque lunged at Azul with a trail of white following. The Quick Attack seemed to bounce off, but the EleSquirrel Pokémon did not hesitate to repeat the action half a dozen times again before retreating behind the coverage of rocks. The Ice Beam Azul released turned the boulders into big ice cubes, yet the little Pachirisu escaped harm. She snickered, adding insult to injury.

"Well," Chris said, "doesn't look like Azul can do much. Why not try another Dragon Rush, eh Matthew? Or maybe even a Surf attack."

"I appreciate the concern," Matthew said. As usual, his voice lacked any trace of sarcasm. "I do have to correct one thing, though. Azul, _Portazo_."

Azul raised her tail into the air. After a moment of concentration, she brought it back down to the ground in a magnificent Slam attack, sending a wave of cracks to trace its way through the field. The tremors knocked Elesque down, giving Azul enough time to freeze the squirrel in place with another Ice Beam.

Everything from neck to tail was encased in ice. Neither electricity nor brute force could break through—not with such a small body. The little demon was officially stuck, and both Chris and Matthew knew it.

Matthew wagged a finger and winked. "Azul can always do something."

The blond sighed. "I guess I deserved that for getting overconfident. Sorry, Less."

"Chipa," the squirrel grumbled.

She disappeared in a flash of red, and the second portrait faded to gray. Chris nodded toward the Dragonite. "Sorry to you too, Azul. I underestimated you."

She shook her head modestly before smiling.

"Thanks. I lost my trump card and my intimidation tactic to one Pokémon. Not exactly how I planned for this to go."

"I apologize for that."

"If you apologize, it just makes it worse, Matt." Chris pulled his third Poké Ball out. "Well, it's not over 'til it's over, right? Do it, Aqua!"

The third rhombus filled in on the screen with another model Trainer Pokémon: Blastoise. The Shellfish Pokémon glanced at Azul and inclined its head, receiving a nod in return. It turned to Chris and asked, "Blastoise?"

"No helping it. Sorry, bud."

"Stoise."

Chris smiled. "Just one shot. One shot, and we'll be in the Hall of Fame. How's that sound, Aqua?"

The Blastoise smiled and turned back to face Azul.

"Heh. Aqua, Hydro Cannon!"

"_Hiperrayo!_"

A sapphire-coated blast of water met with a sparkling orange ray of light. There was a brief moment of hesitation where neither seemed to give in. Then, from Chris's side of the field—

"Ice Beam!"

Derek wasn't exactly able to understand what happened then. The two attacks, so perfectly equal in strength, so perfectly balanced, suddenly dropped into chaos. Equilibrium was torn apart as the Hydro Cannon froze into an Ice Cannon. The Hyper Beam ripped in half, and Azul took the full blow.

The Ice Cannon seemed to pass straight through the dragon, as if suddenly a stream of gas. But Derek could see the damage ripple through Azul, the ice crystals floating in the air—the remains of the attack that had shattered on contact. Like slamming glass against cement, the dent had been made.

Azul fell, and Matthew's second rhombus grayed out.

"Excellent idea." Matthew returned Azul to her Poké Ball with an appreciative smile. "How much training could it have possibly taken to be able to get such a synchronized attack?"

"We spent the last two months working on it," Chris said, laughing. He stepped forward and patted Aqua on the side. "But that's our limit, unfortunately. Sorry, Matt."

"Pardon me?"

Chris closed his eyes and stroked the Blastoise's shell. "A Hydro Cannon's hard enough on Aqua, but with something like that... She won't be able to battle anymore. I forfeit this match."

"Eh?"

"EHHH?"

The crowd echoed Matthew's confusion in a magnificent fashion. Damion actually did fall onto the person sitting in front, but said person was so surprised that he didn't even seem to notice. Derek felt his jaw drop.

Unfazed, the judge raised the flag. "Chris Lightwood has forfeited the match. Winner, Matthew Summers!"

-.-.-

The streets of the Pokémon League Village were bustling with excited people chatting about the prequarterfinals. The group of nine traveled down the roads together—one Gym Leader, his little sister, one contestant and two former challengers, and four newbie Trainers. Surprisingly enough, no one even noticed the odd troupe as they made their way to the restaurant Aewir had reserved for them.

The individual members of the group conversed amongst themselves, just as the rest of the village was. Derek could hear behind him the laughs and groans.

"Hey," he could hear Chris say, "I'm in the top sixteen. I think I did all right."

He couldn't help but hear Andrea: "YA IDIOT! TOP SIXTEEN MY BUTT! HOW COULD YA LOSE TO _HIM_ OF ALL PEOPLE!?"

She swung her arm violently to point at Matthew, who frowned a bit. "No need to shout, Andrea."

Chris positively scowled. "He's right; calm down already. You know you're going against him next, right? The matches aren't as random as you think."

"What d'ya mean aren't as random as I think?"

"They need to keep the crowd interested, so they need some interesting battles. You're the other rookie that everyone's curious about. You're next on the list. They're probably keeping Alexis for last."

It was Andrea's turn to scowl. "Still, ya didn't have to go and lose so badly, did ya? One to three? Really?"

"I'm honestly amazed I even got Azul down. But enough about today's matches, all right? Can't we just accept that I lost and move on?"

Derek sighed as they continued to bicker. He stared down at the gravel street below and picked up a stray soda can, tossing it into one of the nearby trash cans as he passed it by. The action felt oddly robotic even to him.

"Something the matter, kid?"

Derek shook his head. "Not really."

"Disappointed that your role model lost?"

He didn't answer. The teen beside him patted him on the head and chuckled, saying, "I might be biased, but Matthew's a great Trainer. The fact that your friend Chris managed to battle without losing face is pretty impressive."

Derek nodded a bit reluctantly. After a short pause, he relented. "I just don't like how Matthew used a Hyper Beam at that time."

"Oh, you noticed?"

"Dragonite are physical sweepers. I don't understand why Matthew would have used a special move at a time like that."

Aewir cocked his head. "It's a fair thing to point out, but it's not like any of us have an answer. I dare say neither of us have any social skills."

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, Aewir," Marina said, frowning. She appeared by her brother's side, having apparently slipped away from Matthew and the others.

"Shush, Marina. Daddy is talking."

Derek glanced up at the Gym Leader. "Aewir, is battling like this all right? People seem to enjoy the tournament and all, but do they really get what being a Trainer is like? It feels weird for us to be enjoying a...tour...na...ment..."

The boy trailed off into silence as Aewir burst into laughter. "Y-you think you know what being a T-Trainer is like, Derek? After j-just two months? Hah! That's the funniest thing I've heard all day, and I was stuck with a drunk Surge."

Derek frowned. "Is that really the point here?"

"No, it isn't," Aewir said, still chuckling. He raised a hand and brushed his fingers against one of the lanterns hanging from the trees. The glow it gave off made Derek's eyes sting. "I'd say you should just enjoy the festivities. It's not any different from the Pokéathlon or anything, is it? Just a different kind of sport."

"When does it stop being a sport and start being reality?"

"You're thinking too much about this." He put a hand on Derek's head and flattened the boy's hair. "You're ten. Worry about stuff like...I don't know, what cool Pokémon you want on your team. Do something your age for once."

"Not my fault I get involved with terrorists and weirdos everywhere I go," Derek mumbled. He refrained from saying anything anything more, though, and followed in silence as Aewir led them to their dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Quick recap: Chris has a Pidgeot (Gale), Arcanine (Ignis), Pachirisu (Elesque, which is uh-LESK), and Blastoise (Aqua); Matthew has a Dragonite (Azul) and Gardevoir (Blanca); Andrea has a Typhlosion (Blitz) and Kingdra (Twister). The rest of their Pokemon will be introduced eventually, but for now, these are the ones shown. Just so you guys don't have to scratch your heads and try to remember; I know that there are way too many people with way too many Pokemon, but that's just how Poke fics go, I guess. (Well, that and I just have a massive cast...)**

**Anywho! 'Sup y'all. Next chapter is the last battle chap! It's not exactly done (it sounds flat, so I'm rewriting it), but I have a general idea, so we should be back in Vermilion City by the end of the following chapter or the beginning of the one after that. Confused yet? Good. Lost Memories is...at a standstill, actually. I haven't gotten the time to writing that. What with beta-ing Hell is Cold on my weekends and doing stuffs on weekdays, it's been pretty busy. Not that that's an excuse, of course, seeing as I'm already a year overdue...but you know.  
><strong>

**Also! Be sure to check out Isshu no Aoi Kaze: Advent by Ikitsumi, my co-writer. I just realized I forgot to favorite that. By the time you're reading this chap, I will have probably done so, so check my favorite stories page to get there. I can't even remember how many times we've done this whole revising crap.**

**Last paragraph, I swear. And this one is just awesome. THANKS FOR 69 REVIEWS GUYS! Peace out, ya pervs!**


	36. A Light Summer Rose Part III

The computer screen displayed the imbalance heartlessly: five grayed out portraits on the green side, two on the red. The girl taking the former color scowled up at the screen as she held the last Poké Ball in her hand.

Matthew shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Somehow, he made the action look respectful rather than cocky. "Is it time for your ace to take the stage, Andrea?"

"Oh, shaddup," she snapped. Her fingers were threatening to dig holes into the metal sphere. They released their grip to release the final Pokémon inside. "Get 'em, Blitz!"

The judge barely managed to announce the start of the round before a river of flames rushed toward the Manectric. The Electric-type Verde merely dug his claws into the dirt before sending up a surge of electricity. The air seemed charged with energy and deflected the fire, sending it arcing around the Pokémon and his Trainer.

"Flare Blitz!"

The Typhlosion began glowing with a ferocious blaze and dashed toward the Manectric. Without even waiting for Matthew's command, Verde returned the attack with a charged Spark attack. There wasn't even any time for the crowd to react before Blitz was sent skidding through the sodden dirt, the muddy aftermath of Twister's brawl with Azul.

Andrea bit her lip and glanced around the battlefield, hesitating a bit before shouting her command. "All right, then. Blitz—Fire Pledge!"

Raising his head to the sky, Blitz let out a roar. A roar of power—a roar of authority. The sound echoed, and before anyone could figure out what was happening, a scarlet circlet of fire had surrounded the Fire Pokémon. It spread, a ripple in the water, and covered the entire arena in a manner of seconds.

"Fire Pledge, huh," Chris said from beside him. "That's not a bad idea, but..."

"But nothing's happening," Damion pointed out, watching the field. "And neither of them are moving!"

"Don't worry, Damion!" Ciel said. "My thumbs are mo—"

Derek reached over and put his left hand to the boy's mouth, shutting him up. "It's a stalemate, pretty much. The Pledge will almost definitely burn Verde, and he has no chance of dodging. On the other hand, when Blitz uses the move, he has nothing left to defend himself."

"So...they're both scared of starting the first move," Caitlin said.

"You could say that," Chris said. "But more than that, both are stalling for something. They wouldn't let a stalemate go on for no reason. Look."

Derek turned his head to Verde. The Electric Pokémon was pawing the insignia on the ground—nothing odd. Something caught Derek's eye, though, and he bent forward to look closer. Sparks ran through the Pokémon's fur, so light and weak that it was nearly impossible to catch with the glow of the fire and the yellow tint to his fur.

He glanced at Blitz, who was starting to glow with a familiar light. Fire came off of his body like steam, creating a mantle of flames. He recognized the ability from all the times he had seen Flare activate it.

"Blaze!" Damion said, bumping his fist into his palm in classic "I got it!" fashion.

"If Verde moves, he'll get burned. He's using Charge to make up for the weakened attack. Since the mud will absorb some of the attack, Blitz won't faint. He'll be too slow to dodge, but he will have enough strength to get Verde before he can get away again. And then it'll be a double knockout."

Derek marveled at Chris's thorough analysis. He did find something odd about it, though. "If that's the case, couldn't Matthew just end the battle anyway, though? Why wait for something to change?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Derek blinked. He shook his head.

Chris just smiled. "He doesn't like his Pokémon getting hurt more than they need to."

Verde's leg twitched, and the inky emblem on the field suddenly burned crimson. Fire sprung up from every line of the intricate design, swallowing him up immediately. He took the chance to dash forward, ignoring the flames licking at his body, and slam into Blitz in an explosion of electricity.

Suddenly, a tower of fire sprung up from the ground around the two Pokémon, as if someone had forced it up from underneath. Snake-like tendrils of electricity slithered out from its interior, but still the fire burned. Then, as if shot by a slingshot, Verde was thrown out from inside, skidding through the mud and all the way over to Matthew.

"Verde," the boy said, kneeling down by the Electric Pokémon. His voice had the same tone to it as he did with Andrea and Chris—exasperation. "Why do you _always_ have to charge in first? Couldn't you have waited five more seconds?"

The unconscious Pokémon gave no answer.

Fire rained down on the arena and fizzled out as it hit the mud. Fur singed in some places, Blitz stepped out of the flaming tower, which soon swirled out of existence. He gave Andrea a thumbs up and promptly fainted on the spot.

"Double knockout!" the judge announced, raising both flags. "Winner, Matthew Summers!"

The crowd cheered loudly. Derek glanced at Chris, but he was surprised to find the blond with a hand to his face. He heard Chris mumbling something like "That idiot" and "Why a Blast Burn?"

Both Pokémon disappeared in a flash of red, and the crowd chorused Matthew's name in a high cry of joy. Their favorite little prodigy had won once again. They didn't care for the loser—no one ever did.

Derek found himself scowling and quickly fixed his expression.

With the last match of the day over, the people began to file out of the bleachers. Andrea and Matthew had a short conversation on the fields before leaving together. Matthew made sure to wave to the group in the bleachers before he disappeared from view.

He could hear Caitlin, Ciel, and Damion all chatting excitedly beside him, but he turned his attention to Chris instead. "Chris, are Matthew's Pokémon really that much stronger? I mean...Andrea was able to beat Jordan, but this..."

"Hm... I wouldn't say his Pokémon are as strong as Jordan's, no."

"Then why...?"

"Well, I lost because I got overconfident. Elesque was doing great, but I got a bit cocky there. If I had beaten Azul, I would have probably been able to at least beat Blanca."

Derek frowned. "Even so, it's not like one little thing like that would make you lose, would it?"

"You think so? There are some people who can't get into the flow of battle. And when you break that flow, such as by getting cocky, or aren't even in it in the first place, you start to miss things."

"I...don't really get it."

"I wouldn't expect you to. Just think of it like making a sandwich. You can have the best ingredients ever, but if you add something weird like a sour Warhead, it'll mess the whole thing up."

He almost snorted. "I guess that makes sense."

"That was a joke, but all right. Andrea lost because Matthew just had a better strategy. His Pokémon were stronger, but he was smarter, too. He kept stopping everything Andrea did in advance—like the mud. Or when Blanca took down all of her little traps."

Derek wasn't sure how to answer that, and he never got the chance to try: Andrea and Matthew walked into the bleachers, waving. Chris turned to the entrance and, in a beautiful falsetto, called out to Andrea, "'How could ya lose to someone like _him_?'"

"Oh, shaddup." Andrea made to smack the boy, but Chris leaned out of the way, laughing. "Let's just go eat or something already."

"That does sound good," Matthew agreed, smiling. It seemed as if he had already forgotten about his victory.

Derek just shook his head in dismay. The world of elites really was a strange one with people like these around. The nonchalance with which they accepted their losses was admirable, really. Maybe it would just take time for him to become like that, too.

Well, it was good to have big dreams, Derek thought with a sigh.

-.-.-

The rest of the Indigo League went exactly as one would expect: Matthew defeated the last two Trainers and took the crown of Champion. Alexis turned out to be the blonde girl with the frameless glasses, and she was probably the second best Trainer in the League. However, according to Chris, her style was "a bad match for Matt," and she was defeated just as easily as everyone else. The four young Trainers watched as Chris and Andrea received their official badges of participation and applauded with the rest of the crowd when Matthew received the Champion's plaque.

The ending ceremony involved a lot of festivities, including a dance hall, a ton of food stalls, and a whole game section that seemed to mirror that of the entrance ceremony—except twice as large. Damion had successfully dragged Derek through about half the festival before Derek could even figure out what was going on. The boy seemed to have a knack for festival games, including the shooting range and the disc throw, but he never seemed to want the prizes...except one.

"Hey, Derek!" The boy held up the keychain he had just won from a random lottery stall they had passed. It didn't seem like a grand prize, but it definitely was something. "This kind of looks like Soran, doesn't it?"

"Does it?" He took it from the boy and held it up in his palm. The miniature Eevee figurine glistened in the dimly lit night. It was in a pouncing position, bent forward and teeth bared, but it hardly looked threatening at all. Rather, the expression on its face was rather adorable, as if it were simply playing angry. "Huh. It really does."

He glanced downward at the Poké Ball on his belt. He had told the Eevee to stay in her Poké Ball so as to not attract attention, so it had been rather quiet for the past few days. "It's only a bit longer before we're back on our journey, huh?"

"Yup!" The boy watched as Caitlin reached into the cardboard box and pulled out a slip of paper. She made a celebratory noise and high-fived Ciel before clearing her throat and correcting her immaturity. Damion grinned. "It's great that we meet Ciel and Caitlin, huh?"

"Didn't we already have this conversation?"

"Did we? I don't remember."

"We definitely did." He held the keychain out to Damion. "Do you have anything to stick that on, anyway? We should get you a phone."

"A phone? Me? That'd be awesome! I could call people, and message people, and...and...and...what else do you do with phones?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh. Well, I could also call people!"

Derek just sighed. "We could put this on your bag, I guess."

"Hm? Oh, the keychain? You can have it, Derek."

The boy blinked. "Eh?"

"I mean, I think Soran would like it, you know? Plus I never got you anything for helping me with Serin and all."

"Oh. Well, uh..." Derek felt a bit slow all of a sudden. "Er...th—"

"Hey, hey, Derek look! They have cotton candy—_cotton_ _candy_! Let's go get it!"

The boy rushed off to the vendor, leaving a bemused Derek with the Eevee keychain still in his hand. Derek sighed again, tucked the keychain in his pocket alongside the ring, and watched Damion practically bounce as he asked for his sweets.

"Thanks," Derek mumbled, shaking his head to himself.

"Did you say something, Derek?" Ciel asked, walking up to the boy. Caitlin followed behind him, a smile on her face. "You know, the first sign of madness is talking to yourself."

"Do you know the other signs?"

"...No?"

"The second one is making bad puns."

Ciel grinned. "You know, I always did wonder what it would be like to be crazy."

"No need to wonder." Derek turned to Caitlin. "Did you win something?"

The girl nodded, still beaming. "A Pichu keychain. It's really really really really cute!"

"So cute that she put it on her phone the minute she got it." Ciel laughed. "Speaking of which, Derek, do you and Damion have phones?"

"Damion doesn't." Derek held out his watch. "My Pokétch has a Pokégear installed, though. You need to call someone or something?"

"What? Why else would I ask if you had a phone?"

"...Isn't that my question?"

Ciel chuckled and took the watch from Derek's wrist. He toyed with the controls before finding what he seemed to need. Derek had the slight feeling of déjà vu as Ciel handed it back to him with a satisfied grin.

"What'd you do?"

"Registered our phone numbers, of course. Mind calling?"

"Oh. Well now I just feel stupid."

Derek called the two and watched as they saved his contact information, feeling an odd embarrassment as they did. He now had three numbers registered in the Pokétch. The numbers were growing steadily.

"Hey, Derek, what's your last name?" Ciel asked, looking up from his light blue phone. It was a bar phone, the kind you pushed open. "Sorry if you told me and I forgot."

"Well... I don't remember either." Caitlin frowned down at her white flip phone, which was unnaturally shiny, as if brand new. The Pichu keychain she had received smiled at Derek.

He didn't get a chance to answer before Damion let out a loud "Dereeeeek!" The boy turned just in time to get a cloud of cotton candy to the mouth, which he instinctively sank his teeth into. Derek blinked in surprise as the sweetness spread through his mouth.

"Fwat fa..."

"Good, right? It's great, right? Tastes super super awesome, right?"

"I fueff fo?"

"Looks like Damion's cottoning you up, eh Derek?"

Derek took the stick the cotton candy was attached to and pulled it away from his face. He saw that Damion had bought one for everyone, which made him frown. "You have money to waste like that?"

"Fut Feref! Ifsh sho foof!"

Derek rolled his eyes. He was eternally grateful to the boy, though; Ciel and Caitlin had put away their phones to enjoy the sweet treat. He took another bite out of the cotton candy, letting himself relax a bit.

The group enjoyed the festival for another few hours, wandering around and enjoying the sights and sounds. Damion did not hesitate to buy as much as he could, and Ciel took every chance he could to make a pun, but somehow it all seemed to be a part of the enjoyment. Every stall in the Pokémon League Village had probably heard of the game master Damion by the end of the day.

By the time Damion's wallet was finally empty, the festival seemed to be more or less over. The group made their way back to the Pokémon Center and spent another hour or so just relaxing together before heading back to their rooms.

Upon entering, Damion immediately collapsed onto his bed and dropped unconscious, leaving Derek to tuck the boy into bed. That's what he tried to do, at least; it really turned out to be a struggle of getting the boy off of the blankets long enough for Derek to cover him with them. It took the last remaining shreds of energy he had to do so.

"Stupid Damion and your stupid face," Derek grumbled, glaring at the sleeping boy. He couldn't hold his annoyance for long, though, and went to turn off the lights.

He headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth when he realized Damion hadn't brushed his teeth, either. Derek slapped a hand to his face, knowing the boy wouldn't wake up unless he brought in a feast and dessert. He rolled his eyes; they didn't have the cash to pay for cavities. Not to mention Damion would probably be a baby about it.

_Why do I put up with this kid?_ Derek asked himself, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He put a hand to his cheek. No mark remained from the Dual Blast he had been hit by—Serin had made sure of that. How she had done it, he had no idea, though. He had never heard of a Pokémon being able to heal human injuries like that, except maybe by moves like Recovery or Wish.

"Major Louis Archer." He rolled the name around on his tongue, mumbling the words, whispering them, chewing on them, spitting them out. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, even after he brushed his teeth.

He sighed and wandered back over to his bed. The fluffy blankets and squishy pillow absorbed his worries and reminded him of how tired he was. It had been a long day, full of games and activities. Hectic didn't even begin to describe it.

"Good night, Damion," he said, his voice muffled by his pillow. He yawned.

He could have sworn he heard a "Good night, Derek," but he put it off as his imagination. He let himself fall asleep, somehow thankful that the whole Indigo League was finally over.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Well. This chapter sucks.**

**Now, I realize that if I am in any position to be saying a chapter sucked, I should be rewriting it. And I did. Didn't turn out all that well, so I kept with this draft instead. Anyway, my point is, I will probably come back and rewrite this chapter eventually. Maybe in a year, since that's generally how long it takes for me to get to doing things. (I'm lazy, shush.)**

**Hope everyone had a good Easter! I actually was on spring break a while back, but I never got around to writing fanfiction... No, that wasn't me being lazy (for once). Still. Whatever.**

**Next chapter will be more or less a final wrap-up of this arc, and then we'll be saying good-bye to all these great people. YES! Good bye Aewir, Marina, Chris, Andrea, Matthew, Ciel, and Caitlin! (I like the last two people, but everyone else can go die.) And finally I'll be trying to get Derek more on a Yuki track.**

**Speaking of Yuki, Lost Memories, Revamped! ...It's not turning out all that well. I've gone through multiple endings (not gonna lie), and they all sucked, so I'm going at it again. I'm pretty much deciding which direction I should take after Yuki and Derek actually meet.**

**Anyway, enough. This chapter lacked conflict, lacked plot, lacked emotion, but it's done. And if it's done, that means we can leave this friggin' Indigo League behind. JEEZ.**


	37. Wish Upon a Shooting Star

Somehow, Derek knew that it wasn't even six o' clock in the morning. Some primal instinct, some internal clock—something was telling him he shouldn't be awake at the present hour. However, the person shaking him awake seemed to think otherwise. Said person also must have taken his pillow, for Derek felt his head on the bouncy mattress rather than the cloud-like cushion.

He at first tried to protest, and he rolled over onto his side to avoid the tormenting hands, stopping the torture for a while. Then, something forced him to roll sideways onto his back again—and then slapped him straight across the face.

"The HE—"

"Shut up, idiot!" The assaulter spoke in a hushed whisper, stifling Derek's outrage with the pillow he had been missing. Derek tried to push him off, but it was like trying to push a wall—completely pointless. "I'm trying _not_ to wake up that kid."

"Fwafion fwonf fwafe fwuff fwaf fweafifwy!"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Derek managed to slide out from under the pillow. He took a few long breaths before saying at a perfectly outrageous volume, "Damion won't wake up that easily, okay?"

He received a slap across the head with the pillow for his insolence. Derek glared up at Aewir, muttering curses all the while. The Gym Leader just sighed.

"Anyway." His voice was just as quiet as before. "Can you come with me? We need to talk."

Derek matched his volume. "Again?"

"It's important."

"Of course it is. It always is."

Aewir gave him a dry smile and helped him up in to a standing position. Derek ran a hand through his hair, feeling a heavy need to take a shower before getting out of the room, but Aewir threw him his jacket and shoes before he could even open his mouth. He sighed and pulled them on wearily.

Derek tightened the knot of his shoelaces before straightening back up again. He looked up to Aewir, noticing the Gym Leader's eyes were on Damion's sleeping form. He nearly fell over when Aewir asked, "He's sleeping like an idiot."

"I'm well aware," Derek said, scratching the back of his head. Feeling a bit embarrassed for his partner, he added, "But that's the only way he gets comfortable."

"Really now." Aewir put a hand on the doorknob and opened the door unbelievably quietly. "Well, whatever. He looks like a heavy sleeper, but we should go now just in case."

"R-right..."

Derek followed Aewir out into the hallway, closing the door behind him as gently as possible. It still made a soft _thump_, but Aewir gave no time for Derek to dwell on this: the teen was already out of sight. Only the flutter of his sweeping jacket led Derek through the pitch black dark.

The boy put a hand to the wall and sighed. It wasn't even time for breakfast and he was already ready to give up for the day. He resigned himself to a horrible day before wandering after Aewir.

Aewir was waiting for him in the lobby. "Come on," he said. He walked over to the entrance, leaving Derek to trot after him.

The doors opened automatically, letting a draft into the center. It swept the hair out of Derek's eyes and snagged at his clothing, but it was a warm wind, a soothing wind. He stepped past its embrace and into the dark night.

Aewir led him through the empty streets, the streetlights their only guide. They cast shadows, long and twisting, casting a gray light across Derek's bare skin. Silence fell heavily around them, save for the soft breath of the wind. It was an ominous silence; the last time Derek had walked streets so silent had been...

When had it been, exactly? He couldn't recall the exact memory, but he was sure he had been walking roads just like these in the past. Alongside a man—no, perhaps it was Yuki? It had to have been years ago, back when he had run from home.

He scratched his head. The memories from back then were vague. He only remembered small snippets, now that he came to think about it. When exactly _had_ Yuki disappeared from his life, anyway? Why did he remember her but not anything else?

Left to his thoughts, he didn't realize where they had been walking to until Aewir came to a halt. They stood in a small park, aside from the rest of the town, just as deserted as anywhere else. Aewir sat down on one of the wooden benches beside the concrete path, motioning for Derek to sit beside him. Derek hesitated before complying.

One of his arms over the back of the bench, Aewir stared up at the sky and sighed. The stars were invisible behind a veil of clouds, and the moon a mere crescent. With his eyes closed and his expression calm, he looked almost as if he were sleeping. Only the thin line his mouth had become indicated otherwise.

Derek waited for a few minutes, though the silence tested his patience. He pushed himself up off the bench and, at Aewir's lack of reaction, walked for a bit. The few trees in the area waved their branches at him, attracting his attention to something else in the park: a little vending machine illuminating the grass around it. Derek wasn't sure how he had missed it in the first place, but he made his way over to it now.

He returned to Aewir's side with a pair of Cokes and held one out. "Thirsty?"

One of the teen's eyes opened, but its black gaze was practically invisible in the dismal light. Aewir took the can with a gloved hand, mumbling softly, "Thanks."

Derek sat beside the boy and gazed down at the can. A trail of water slipped down the cool surface, leaving a dark spot on his gloved hand. The metal stung his bare fingers. "Can you tell me why we're here now?"

Aewir took a few moments before responding. The Coke in his hands was still closed. "That depends. I just want to confirm something."

"Confirm...?"

"Marina told me something interesting." Aewir turned to him with a small smile. "But I want to confirm it for myself. Derek, I challenge you to a battle."

The Coke slipped from his hands and dropped onto the bench. He stared at Aewir with wide eyes. "P-pardon?"

"I want to confirm how strong a Trainer you really are."

"B-but..." He found himself standing, though he didn't remember getting up. "You're the one who beat—"

"I didn't _beat_ him," Aewir cut in. "Archer simply left because he didn't want to fight me. I'm quite sure he would have defeated me had he given forth the effort."

Derek highly doubted that, but given the situation, he couldn't bring himself to say that. Instead, he said, "That still doesn't mean—"

"Are you scared, Derek?"

The two stared at each other. The icy panic that had filled his veins gave way to the flames of indignation, flooding him with a mix of anger and adrenaline. He glared at Aewir—and suddenly, the Gym Leader started laughing. Laughing at him, no doubt.

"What's so funny?" he snapped.

"Your expression tells me you've gone through this before," Aewir said. He lay the still-closed Coke beside him on the bench and stood up, dusting himself off absentmindedly. He turned to Derek with a smirk. "Unfortunately, I've heard about _that_, too. Emily Rose, correct?"

Derek lowered his gaze. The splint on his hand was the only thing stopping him from clenching his fist.

"Chris, Matthew, Emily, Archer... You've met quite a few powerful Trainers in the past two months, haven't you? Have you ever thought about why that is?"

Derek made no answer. Apparently that made no difference, though, for Aewir just shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. You've battled against some impossible odds already, and you've overcome quite a few. It's stupid how impressive you are for your age. You don't seem to agree, though," he pointed out, gazing at Derek. His expression brought back memories.

Annoyingly similar to Michael, really.

Derek gritted his teeth, but he forced his jaw to unclench. "That's—"

For the first time in days, one of his Poké Balls burst open in a shining light. Soran hit the ground and immediately pounced on him, nearly knocking him over. She slapped his hair with a paw once—then twice—then continuously, seemingly throwing a tantrum on his head.

"O-ouch! What the hell, Soran?"

She made her final blow count: she effectively whipped him with her tail before dropping back to the ground. As if nothing had happened, she turned to Aewir, letting out a growl.

Aewir blinked. "So this is the Eevee that I saw back then... Interesting. She seems to have a fighting will, now doesn't she?"

"Soran," Derek hissed, running a hand through his now-crazy hair, "do you mind? This isn't about you."

She glared at him and snapped her jaws. "Ee, Eevee vee."

"Like I would understand that." The boy rolled his eyes, which turned out to be a bad idea—Soran took the chance to jump on him once more, landing directly on his shoulder. He made to grab her but stopped when he realized she wasn't attacking.

She placed a paw on his cheek—the cheek Serin had somehow healed. He turned to her, but her eyes weren't on him. She watched Aewir, her fangs bared, her body tense.

He patted her on the head with a hand, biting his lip before making his decision. "All right, fine. Let's battle, Aewir."

"Excellent." The teen finally snapped the lid open on his Coke and took a small sip. He smiled. "Hopefully you'll last long enough for me to finish this drink, eh?"

-.-.-

Spinel, the Houndoom. Alexandrite, the Aggron. Zirconia, the Skarmory. These three Pokémon Derek had seen made judging Aewir's team all the more confusing: it wasn't a purely specialized team like one would expect from a Gym Leader, nor did it seem to be too balanced. Something told him to expect more Steel-type Pokémon.

He weighed his options. Soran would have to be his first choice, though it wasn't the greatest idea. She would have nothing to go for her against such opponents—rather, even if she did, it wasn't like they could hurt such a powerful foe. The best way to win would be somehow making Aewir's Pokémon hurt themselves...

"Shall we make this a simple one-on-one battle?" Aewir asked. He had pushed the sides of his jacket out of the way, and his fingers were on one of the Poké Balls hanging off the loosely hanging double belt he wore. "Or would you prefer something else?"

Derek glanced towards Soran. She turned to him as well, her expression easy to read: it's your choice.

With such a difference in offensive power, and with a horrible lack of defensive strength, his best bet would definitely be using strategy. Strategy, though, would be difficult in this situation with such unbalanced odds. There was a difference between strategy and tactics...

"One-on-one sounds fine," he decided. "And I'll choose Soran."

Aewir smiled. "All right. Then I'll choose a Pokémon you've already seen before."

He grabbed one of the Poké Balls and released the Houndoom from inside. The capsule burst open, illuminating the night for a few brief seconds as the beast materialized. It stood tall, its head around Aewir's chest—easily dwarfing Soran. She was barely a fifth the Pokémon's size and looked about as a good a match-up as a stuffed toy.

Derek had seen Spinel once before, but that had been from a distance and outside of battle. Now, Derek felt an odd pressure emanating from the Dark Pokémon, as if he were being pushed back by a gale...but at the same time, there was an oddly comforting warmth flooding through him.

On the ground in front of him, Soran pawed the ground anxiously. The bandages had long since been removed, and her paw had recovered from the battle against Lt. Surge. She was obviously more than confident in her ability to win.

Way more confident than Derek, anyway. He took a shaky breath, trying not to let his fear show.

"Then, Derek." Aewir shifted his weight from one leg to the other and smirked. It was the exact same motion as Matthew—only a thousand times cockier. "I suppose you can go first."

He felt a raw heat flush through his body. "Soran, Quick Attack!"

A white spark lit the night and instantly burst forward in a radiant path. Soran raced forward in the first attack of the battle, with the trail trying its best to catch up to her. Sections of the park lit up as she darted around—the benches, the scattered trees, even the air above—before Soran finally made for her target.

Aewir's voice cut through the night. "Faint Attack."

Soran smashed into the grass, sending a few green blades flying. The trail she had left faded, and the only lights in the park remaining were the scattered streetlights and the dim sky. She looked around, trying to find her lost target, but the Pokémon had completely disappeared from sight. Even Derek, who was rather confident in his eyes in the dark, couldn't find a trace of Spinel.

Like a snagging sensation, a sudden ripple of awareness overcame Derek. To the left—then to the right. A soft step here, a harsher push there. Spinning circles around Soran, so quickly, so silently, that the darkness hid the Houndoom in its mantle.

But Derek knew where he was.

"Soran," he growled, "Quick Return! Behind you!"

She exploded off the ground. Her entire body was burning brighter than a star, her brilliance blinding, yet even the ever-reliable Quick Return failed to hit its mark. She slipped through a shadowed image of what was once her opponent and was sent skidding through the dirt, only to be struck by Spinel from the side.

"S-Soran!"

Her aura flickered out of existence, and she hit the ground with an audible thud. Almost immediately, she jumped back up to her feet, but the damage was done: her breath was coming in pants now.

It was only now Derek realized just how hopelessly outclassed he was.

"Come now, Derek." Aewir folded his arms across his chest. "Is that really the best you can do? You have a magnificent partner—guide her properly."

Derek couldn't respond. He watched as Soran looked back to him, her eyes like wildfire: dangerous, uncontrollable. She wasn't going to back down from this fight.

He couldn't understand it. Why was she so insistent on fighting, anyway? Was this some sort of way of her showing she wanted to help him? Knowing her, she wouldn't ever want to admit it...but that didn't mean she had to battle for him. He would have been perfectly willing to just pass up the battle in the first place.

Ever since he had been defeated by Louis...no, even before that. Since Lt. Surge, since Emily Rose—ever since his battles against Brock and Flare, Soran had fought and overcome all sorts of challenges for him. Aewir was right; she _was_ a magnificent partner. One that he probably didn't deserve.

_ Well_, he thought, _we're stuck together, so we might as well win together._

He nodded towards her, and she nodded back. With a deep breath, he turned back to Aewir. "Aewir, you're right."

"Does that come as a surprise?"

Derek thought about that for a second. "No... I guess not. She's a magnificent Pokémon, so when she beats your Spinel, I doubt that'll be a surprise either, huh?"

Aewir paused. Derek could have sworn he saw the Gym Leader's eyes widen for a split second, but the teen just laughed. "All right, kid, let's see if you can live up to that boast. Spinel, another Faint Attack!"

Once again, the Houndoom faded into the night, and once again, Derek knew exactly where the Pokémon was. He had messed up earlier—he had missed the timing. Reading the opponent's next move was vital in this situation.

Derek glanced to the battleground. The concrete road was of minimal importance; neither Pokémon would benefit from using it, so both Trainers had abandoned it. The majority of the park was a level grass field, which really wouldn't provide any benefits, either. Luckily, Aewir seemed to have no intentions of setting the entire park on fire. Trees and streetlights could provide elevation for Soran if she needed it...then again, a well-aimed Flamethrower would really have no limitations against an airborne target.

The field would be of no assistance, Derek concluded. All that was left was Soran's ability and Derek's own skills. But considering how easily they'd been defeated the first time around, he wasn't too confident in either.

"You sure you have time to stall, Derek?" Aewir asked, breaking the boy's concentration. He looked up, only to see Soran knocked aside like a doll. She rolled on the ground, using the momentum to get back up again, albeit shakily. Her motions were jerky, forced—she was exhausted and wouldn't last much longer.

There had to be a way to defeat Spinel's Faint Attack. If Derek could just do that, if he could just find a momentary weakness, he was sure that a Quick Return attack would even the playing field.

It was a bit like fighting Brock again, really. The unbelievably powerful Onix; of course Soran had stood no chance against such a powerful foe. And yet she had overcome the Rock Snake Pokémon...

_Wait a minute_. _How did we beat Brock, again?_

He had waited. Listened. But that had pushed him to the edge—no, there had been something else...

Of course! Wish. Wish—and then a full-out Quick Return!

"Soran, Wish!"

She raised her eyes. Just above her head, casting a glow upon her battered body, was a silver star. It sparkled for a few seconds before fading, swallowed by the night. Soran lowered her head, her eyes closed.

Houndoom were fast. Houndoom were strong. But Soran was faster, Soran was stronger—she had to be.

"Listen for the right moment—Shadow Quick Return!"

He realized, now, what Aewir had been talking about. Soran was a magnificent partner to have. He had to guide her, not control her. She wasn't a pawn for him to use—she could do things on her own just as well as he could. If he tried to command her to do every little thing, obviously the opponent would figure out what they were doing.

The black aura that surrounded her was like a cloak of darkness; she disappeared into the night just like Spinel. Derek could see her, though, and he knew Aewir could as well—they both saw as the two Pokémon collided.

Shadows tore at the Houndoom, propelling Spinel through the air. He skidded across the field, digging four distinct lines through the dirt. He grunted—the first sign of the battle wearing him down. Soran landed softly opposite him, a wild smile on her face.

At this point, it somehow felt necessary to pull a heroic line. Derek decided to take a leaf out of Damion's book: he threw his arm out in an unnecessarily fancy motion and smirked.

"Aewir!" he shouted, making sure his index was as stretched out as possible. "This time, it's our turn to attack!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Oh my God, Archie actually released twice in two months. That's amazing.  
><strong>

**First off, let's get this out of the way. If you want a story that's totally fresh and probably will become awesome, go read "A dream's weight" by Writing Jet. Of course, go read "Isshu no Aoi Kaze: Advent" and "Hell is Cold" by Ikitsumi and 3LittleMuffinMen respectively as well. I'm in a jolly mood!**

**Second, it's 3:40 AM on a Tuesday here. I should be doing homework, but SCREW THAT S#&$!. I only ever update when I'm a) procrastinating and/or b) sick. In this case, I'm both. bah**

**Third, for those who haven't seen my profile (and really, why would you?), I am currently working on a new project. It's a book I'm writing, and I'm about 10 ~ 20% done, so I should be done by the time summer comes around. I'm focusing more on that than anything else, so expect faster updates. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY. EXPECT FASTER UPDATES. I tend to work on everything when I write anything. Hehe.**

**Oh, and guys. I've got 71 reviews on this story and 27 reviews on LM,R! as of right now. That's a total of 98—that's right, NINETY-FRIGGIN-EIGHT—reviews total. Can you believe I've almost got 100? That's ridiculous. Seriously, when I get my next two reviews (whenever that is, whether it be in two days or two years), I will do a little happy dance. Or maybe a big happy dance. Who knows.  
><strong>

**...anyway, whoever gives me my 100th review, expect a heartfelt PM. No, screw that. I'll send PMs to everyone. I love you all.**

**TIME TO GO DO MY HOMEWORK NOW! TOO DA LOO**


	38. A Fallen Star

His declaration ringing through the night, Derek suddenly felt an urge to cover his face and sink into the ground. As it was, he could only stand there in chagrined silence. He frowned a bit when Aewir started to chuckle.

"Is it that funny?" he asked. He tried to keep the indignant shiver out of his voice.

"Oh, it's not so much funny as it is amazing." Aewir motioned towards Derek with the Coke can he was holding. "You and Soran managed to hit Spinel, even if for no damage. Frankly, that's something I didn't expect."

Derek scowled at his tone. "You're sounding awfully condescending."

"And you're sounding awfully cocky. Don't take your eyes off the battle now—Spinel, Faint Attack!"

Derek's eyes narrowed as the Houndoom disappeared into the night. There was no reason for Aewir to be using the same move again; Soran had just proven that she could match Spinel and overcome it. It didn't make any sense, unless Aewir was throwing the match.

The boy felt the adrenaline pump through his veins. He waited for the Dark Pokémon to close in on Soran, watching as the Eevee tensed up. The spark before the flame, the calm before the storm...

"Left!"

She pounced instantly. There was no way for Spinel to avoid the attack, and both he and Aewir seemed to recognize this. Instead of trying, the Houndoom dug his feet into the ground, ready to take the full blow.

They collided, and the heavy but muffled crash of bone on bone was sent booming through the park. Derek almost cheered, but he froze upon seeing the result: Soran hit the ground heavily, her legs shaking, her breath coming in pants. Opposite her, Spinel seemed to almost smile, the streetlights casting ghastly shadows across his face. He hadn't so much as twitched a muscle, even after Soran's strongest attack.

Soran backed up a few feet, growling. Her legs barely seemed able to support her weight anymore, and Derek realized why with a pang of guilt: he had been pushing her to use Quick Attack for the entire battle now. Not to mention she had been combining it with countless other moves throughout.

Aewir took a disinterested draught from his Coke before letting out a long, content sigh. He then glanced up at Derek with a smile. "It seems the match has caught up with her. Priority moves like Quick Attack take a lot of energy, Derek."

The boy bit his lip. He knew that, but he seemed to have had forgotten over the past month. Soran's seemingly limitless energy supply had convinced him that she was an exception to exhaustion. Yet for some reason, she was getting tired so quickly this match...

"Come, now," Aewir said. "An opponent won't give you all day to recover. Spinel, Faint Attack."

Once more, Spinel faded away, leaving a battered Soran to catch her breath. Derek couldn't rely on using Quick Return this time, but there wasn't much else they could do to counter.

He cursed under his breath. He really had gotten cocky, hadn't he?

There was nothing he could do but watch as Spinel closed in on Soran. The Eevee's ears twitched in a vague recognition of the incoming threat, but even she seemed to admit that it was over. She lowered her head, eyes closed.

And then the star reappeared in a blinding light.

The night seemed to recede as their last hope unfolded itself. Spinel stopped his approach, watching as the Wish began to spin above Soran. It began to spill colors, soon becoming too bright to bear, a little fallen star on the battlefield.

Just as the shadows had fled, so, too, did the damage to Soran. The accumulated dust and bruises were gently brushed away, and the light embraced Soran warmly. Her trembling stopped, and she raised her head once more, her eyes aglow.

"Well," Aewir said. He smirked.

The star burst, showering Soran with colored sparkles. In that very instant, she lunged, leaving a rapidly fading light in her place as she charged. Spinel watched her approach, too slow to react, too surprised to even—

A sudden red-black shadow met Soran's bursting white Quick Return, knocking her back to the ground. She snarled and kindled the aura again, but the shadows reached her before she could attack. A deep blue, a shining silver, a dull gray, a sharp obsidian, a sky-blue steel—five more attacks pummeled her, forcing her down.

Her aura drifted away with the wind. She could only watch Spinel in amazement for a few moments, neither Pokémon moving.

Then she fell.

The adrenaline in Derek's veins faded, leaving him with a dull shock. He stared down at the fallen Eevee, unable to register her fall. They had used Wish—she had recovered, he had seen it—so she should have been up and kicking. She should have been _winning_.

So why...why had Soran lost? Why was _she_ the one lying on the ground, unconscious? Beaten?

"Tch." Aewir clicked his tongue and returned Spinel to his Poké Ball. "Ah well."

Derek numbly walked over to Soran's side. He knelt down on the grass and put a hand on her side, feeling her ragged breaths shake her. A moment of hesitation almost made him pull away, but he couldn't.

"Soran..."

Something hit the ground and bounced to his side. Derek glanced up to Aewir, who shrugged.

"A Potion," the teen said. "For good measure."

"Thank you," Derek mumbled, taking the little spray bottle. Whimpers escaped the Eevee as Derek sprayed the remedy onto her bruises.

The boy stayed there for a while, even after emptying the container and watching Soran fall asleep. Aewir handed him the Coke can he had left on the park bench, but he merely held it between his palms, not sure what to do. He couldn't just drink it; that would be disrespecting Soran. That would be like celebrating over a loss.

Aewir plopped onto the ground beside the boy. Derek didn't look up, but the teen chose to speak anyway.

"So, Derek. Did this battle teach you anything?"

The boy felt ice slip into his chest. It was a familiar feeling, one that he had known since childhood: failure. He lowered his head, not wanting to answer.

Aewir shrugged to himself. "Well, I'm sure you learned a few things. The important thing is, battling is just battling. Some are more talented at it than others. Some people have tons of experience, and others are naturally gifted."

"That's a horrible way to try and cheer me up," Derek muttered.

"Well, it's true. You're ridiculously talented for your age. I simply have more experience. In a few years—maybe even by the end of this one, you'll be a better Trainer than me."

Something like a snort escaped Derek. "Yeah, maybe."

"And it's that kind of thinking that annoys me." Derek looked up to see that Aewir was glaring up at the sky, his lips pulled into a definite frown. The Gym Leader clicked his tongue again. "You battled exactly like a kid would. No strategy. Jumping straight into battle. Getting all lost in the flow. You know some people can't get into that so-called flow?"

"Flow?" Derek echoed. He recalled the term: it was what Aliana said was the reason she wasn't as good a battler as Michael.

"Exactly. Flow. It's that sort of instinctive battle knowledge that comes to a Trainer in battle. You get people who can come up with insane crap on the spot. You get people who are fast to react. You get people who can calmly strategize, even when the pressure of battle should be at the breaking point."

Derek lowered his gaze. He knew three people who fit those exact examples.

"Well, that's all Tauros crap if you ask me." Aewir patted Soran on the head. "You see, this little girl? She's pure talent here. And that's great, but she was beaten. You gotta train her properly, Derek."

"...I know."

"And that goes for you as well. A Pokémon is as only good as the Trainer. You lost because you got too sucked up in the flow. You let yourself fall to instinct rather than intelligence."

Derek blinked. He was sure he had heard Michael once tell him instinct was the only way to go in battle. He was about to put his thoughts into words when Aewir continued.

"Anyway, that's not really my point here. My point is, don't you think you're kinda like that as a person, too? Getting too focused on what's right in front of you. Think about the big picture for a second. How many times have you battled so far, Derek?"

"Er..." He had to think about that one. Backtracking through his journey, he started counting. "I guess maybe a dozen?"

Aewir snorted. "A dozen times? That's it? No wonder you're so focused on a few losses. Lemme guess, you've lost, like, a third of your matches?"

"...I guess."

"Wonderful. I'd love to have a win percentage as high as sixty-six percent. I've probably lost over half of my matches over the years."

"What!?" Derek exclaimed. He almost slapped a hand to his mouth, glancing down at Soran in concern. He turned back to Aewir in surprise, this time whispering. "How's that...I mean... What!?"

"Battles aren't that easy, Derek. Someone like...hm... Michael Drake Risque. One-hundred percent win ratio. That's not normal, obviously, and that's why he's so famous. But he didn't get a win ratio like that because he's more gifted than anyone else. Well, theoretically."

Derek frowned. "He's a genius."

"He's an idiot, if you ask me." The teen chuckled, looking up to the sky with a faint smile. "Maybe that's why I feel like helping you out, kid."

"Do I remind you of him?"

Aewir glanced at him. Derek bit his lips; he must have let more venom into his voice than he thought. Instead of commenting on this, Aewir just shrugged and said, "No, not really. You two are completely different people. What, you dislike being compared to your brother that much?"

_Brother_. The word hung in the air uncomfortably, watching over them uneasily like a raincloud. Derek felt a sudden drop in his heart, and even Aewir seemed a bit surprised. He put a hand to his mouth, blinking a few times.

"Oh," Aewir said. He dropped his hand. "I guess I forgot to mention. Marina told me you were a Risque, and I kinda wanted to see if you really were... Sorry about that."

"A...ah." Derek felt the cold hand once again grip at his chest. He recalled his battle with Brock as he said, "I guess that's not the first time..."

"Well... That may have been the main reason, but it's not the only one." Aewir scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Actually, I did want to battle you because you were a Risque. But there was another reason."

"Really now..."

"Really. Don't be getting depressed on me here. I wanted to see if that was why you were so worried about Archer—and I guess I was right. Don't be depressed over a loss or two."

"Three," Derek mumbled.

"Three. Wonderful. That's only a fourth of your battles. Seventy-five percent. Have you even thought about what your battling for?"

Derek gazed down at Soran. Her nose twitched a bit, as if she were about to sneeze. He scratched her neck, and she let out a soft purr. Just as she would when Yuki was playing with her...

"I guess I have a goal," Derek said after a while.

"And have you been following it faithfully?"

Derek remained silent.

"Don't get caught up in the small stuff, Derek. Look at the big picture." Aewir motioned towards the sky. "Watch the moon as long as you want. But look at the stars around it, because without those, what's a moon gonna do in an empty sky?"

"That's a pretty good line."

Aewir rolled his eyes. "Just accept the advice and leave it at that. Now c'mon. Drink that Coke before it gets any warmer. Or give it to me if you don't want it."

"I already bought you a Coke!"

"Yeah, and I bought you six. Unless you forgot about that."

Derek scowled. He _had_ forgotten about that. Aewir just smiled and said, "Don't take that seriously, moron. We've got a long day ahead of us, so we should hurry on over to the Pokémon Center."

"Are we doing something?" Derek asked, watching as Aewir stood up.

"Are you stupid? We're leaving, first thing today. You've got to go back to doing whatever you're supposed to be doing. Getting back to training so you can kick the crap out of Michael, I'd assume."

Derek shrugged at that. It was true enough, so he chose to ignore it.

He returned Soran to her Poké Ball, grabbed the Coke, and stood back up again. He turned to Aewir, who was gazing up at the now-brightening sky.

A sudden curiosity overtook him. "Hey, Aewir?"

"Mm?"

"Why do you...well, what makes me so special? Why choose to single me out?"

"Why?" Aewir asked. He turned to Derek, looking legitimately surprised. "Isn't it obvious?"

Derek shook his head. Aewir cocked his head.

"It's not 'cause you're a Risque, if that's what you're wondering. It's a much simpler reason."

The teen paused, glancing over his back to where the first few people were walking down the roads. A young Trainer was jogging alongside his Growlithe, calling out encouragement to the little dog Pokémon. Aewir smiled.

"It's 'cause you're different from those kinds of Trainers. You aren't aiming for the Indigo League, even if you are collecting Badges."

Derek stared at the Gym Leader's back. The boy was sure that he had been hiding this well enough—well, not that he had meant to hide it in the first place, but...

"You always answer as if you have no idea what you're doing," Aewir said, cutting his thoughts off. "And that's fair enough, but most Trainers would answer 'I wanna be Champion' or 'I'm gonna be the best Trainer ever.' Even a simple 'I want to battle Michael' or Lance or whatever—that's common enough. But you're going on this journey as if for the hell of it."

"I...uh..."

"So I figured you have something else to do." Aewir turned back to Derek. His black eyes seemed somewhat softer than usual. "And if you ever need help with that something, you have tons of people to ask for help. Remember that. Now come on, we have to get you some breakfast. You're freaking skinny and you need to eat."

With that, the Gym Leader started trotting back to the Pokémon Center, leaving Derek to stare dumbly at his disappearing figure. A sigh escaped Derek before he jogged to catch up, calling out, "You could at least wait a second!"

Aewir just chuckled, dropping the empty can of Coke into the trash can as he passed it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - A FALLING STAR...AT LEAST I FALL ALONE! I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN!**

**Kudos to anyone who knows that song. (Don't use Google, you cheat!)**

**So next chapter, we're FINALLY leaving. Yes. No more distractions. It's been...a whole year since we've actually done any adventuring. Seriously. Embodiment of Lightning (the chapter against Lt. Surge) was finished like, April 30, 2012. Holy fire. Sacred fire!  
><strong>

**Anyway. I'm a bit sentimental, since I just finished reading the last chapter of Free Spirits by Ocean-senpai. The whole weight of my writing career came crashing down on me, I suppose? Either way, I do realize that I need to work harder in my writing. I'm sucking. Horribly. And I'm gonna change that.**

**But for now, here's your chapter. It's June! It's time for graduation! Summer break! Happiness!**

**Oh, and don't worry, I didn't forget. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IKITS! (only here in Asia...but still!) Let's celebrate as soon as it's June over in 'murica!**

**Welp, time to do awesome stuff. See ya, everyone!  
><strong>


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